Other MoA event in Pakistan on Sat 25th July 2026

Security forces have killed 13 terrorists so far in Balochistan during the ongoing intelligence-based Operation Al-Azm, according to security sources cited by Radio Pakistan on Saturday. The sources said several hideouts belonging to what the state refers to as "Fitna al-Hindustan" had also been destroyed. The operations were launched following a series of terrorist attacks in the province, including an assault on the Mangi Dam Police Station that prompted Operation Shaban. In another incident, a district and sessions judge and his security guard were killed when unidentified gunmen attacked their vehicle on the national highway in Mastung, while an additional sessions judge and another individual were seriously injured.

Security sources said forces carried out a successful operation in the Khad Kocha area of Mastung, where several militants were killed and others injured. They also recovered weapons, ammunition and materials used to manufacture improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Officials said the operation would continue until all terrorists were neutralised and peace was restored across the province. The term "Fitna al-Hindustan" is used by the Pakistani state to refer to militants belonging to the banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and other armed groups operating in Balochistan.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi praised the security forces for what he described as their professionalism and operational capabilities, saying effective counterterrorism operations were underway across the province as part of a nationwide campaign. He reiterated the government's commitment to continuing operations until terrorism was eradicated from Balochistan. A day earlier, Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir also vowed to dismantle terrorist infrastructure in the province, stating that targeted operations against "Fitna al Khawarij" and "Fitna al Hindustan" would continue until terrorism and its supporters were eliminated.

The operations come amid a broader rise in militant violence across Pakistan, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, prompting intensified security operations. A United Nations Security Council (UNSC) report released in February noted that the banned BLA had continued attacks against Pakistani security forces and China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)-related projects. The report cited a September 16, 2025, ambush on a military convoy that killed 32 troops, while noting that Pakistan's counterterrorism operations had reduced the group's operational space.

The UNSC report also said some member states believed the BLA coordinated with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and ISIL-K through shared training camps, resources and joint planning, although other member states found no evidence of growing ties between the BLA and Al Qaeda or ISIL. It further highlighted that militant groups in Afghanistan had acquired modern weapons through cross-border smuggling and black-market networks, with the TTP reportedly using advanced rifles, night-vision equipment, thermal imaging devices, sniper systems and drones. An earlier report by the UN's 1988 Taliban sanctions committee also pointed to close coordination between the BLA, including its Majeed Brigade, and the TTP. The UNSC additionally described several BLA attacks as highly complex and brutal, including the hijacking of the Jaffar Express in Balochistan on March 11, 2025, which resulted in the deaths of 31 people, including 21 hostages.