Security forces successfully thwarted a major terrorist attack in Balochistan’s Kharan, killing 12 militants, the military’s media wing reported on Friday. Clearance and search operations remain ongoing in the area to eliminate any remaining threats.
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), approximately 15 to 20 terrorists affiliated with the India-sponsored group Fitna-al-Hindustan carried out multiple attacks in Kharan.
Targets included the Kharan City Police Station, the National Bank of Pakistan, and Habib Bank Limited. During the assault, the militants looted Rs3.4 million from the banks. The attackers intended to create a hostage situation at the police station, but the prompt and effective response of security forces foiled their plans.
Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti lauded the Frontier Corps for their swift action, confirming that one civilian was wounded during the operation and is being treated at the Combined Military Hospital. He said security forces killed four militants immediately across three locations, while the remaining attackers were eliminated in subsequent encounters.
Bugti remarked that such incidents indicate a worrying trend, with extremist elements increasingly moving from ideological activities to organised criminal acts, including bank robberies.
He emphasised that “whenever they come on the streets they will be beaten, and whenever they try to hide in their holes we will chase and defeat them through Intelligence-Based Operations (IBOs).” He described this as the ‘response mechanism,’ now fully operational based on intelligence shared by local communities.
The CM also raised concerns about digital infrastructure in remote areas. He questioned the installation of mobile internet towers in sparsely populated regions such as Sangan, warning that unchecked 4G networks could create security vulnerabilities. He called for clarification on who authorised these installations and cautioned that such facilities could be exploited by hostile elements to target law enforcement agencies and undermine state security.
At the same briefing in Quetta, Bugti announced a major provincial initiative worth Rs3 billion to expand fibre optic connectivity across Balochistan. The project aims to link schools, colleges, universities, and hospitals through fibre optic cables, ensuring broader internet access while maintaining oversight to prevent misuse.
Bugti also highlighted the broader regional context, linking the recent rise in security challenges to developments following the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul in 2021. Citing official figures from military authorities, he noted that law enforcement agencies conducted over 75,000 intelligence-based operations across Pakistan in 2025, resulting in the killing of more than 2,500 terrorists.
The ISPR confirmed that clearance operations continue in Kharan and surrounding areas to eliminate any remaining India-sponsored militants. Under the National Action Plan and the federally approved vision ‘Azm-e-Istihkam’, security forces and law enforcement agencies remain committed to counter-terrorism operations until foreign-sponsored terrorism is completely eradicated from Pakistan, it maintained.
