At least nine terrorists were killed during an operation conducted by the Counter Terrorism Department on the outskirts of Quetta, while four personnel were martyred, a spokesperson for the CTD said on Saturday.
According to the spokesperson, the CTD conducted the operation in the Panjpai and Nohsar areas on the outskirts of Quetta.
During the operation, the CTD neutralised nine terrorists, while four personnel were martyred and six others injured during the exchange of fire, the spokesperson said.
The operation comes just hours after law enforcement agencies conducted an intelligence-based operation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu district, killing 15 terrorists and injuring over 10 others.
A cop was also martyred during the operation, carried out within the jurisdiction of Thana Miryan in Bannu, the Central Police Office (CPO) said.
During the operation, security forces recovered a 10-kilogramme improvised explosive device (IED) and safely defused it.
A police official was also injured during the operation and was shifted to the hospital for medical treatment.
Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti lauded the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) and law enforcement agencies for their successful intelligence-based operation in Quetta’s suburban areas of Kuchlak and Nohsar, which resulted in the elimination of nine terrorists.
Sarfraz Bugti said the timely and effective action by security forces thwarted the nefarious designs of militants, proving the professional skill, courage, and commitment of the law enforcement agencies to protect the public. He emphasized that terrorist elements will never succeed in their conspiracies to destabilize peace and stability in Balochistan.
Expressing deep sorrow over the martyrdom of four CTD personnel during the exchange of fire, the Chief Minister paid tribute to their sacrifice, calling them the pride of the nation.
Separately, eight terrorists were killed in a joint operation conducted by the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) and police in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu district on Saturday, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Zulfiqar Hameed confirmed.
According to Hameed, the joint operation was launched early in the morning based on credible intelligence about the presence of terrorists belonging to the Indian proxy Fitna al-Khawarij. It was directly supervised by the Superintendent of Police (SP) Rural Bannu, with two Sub-Divisional Police Officers (SDPOs) and the CTD SP also present at the site.
“Modern drone surveillance and advanced technology were deployed to monitor the movement and possible hideouts of terrorist elements, while the area was completely cordoned off,” he said.
IGP said that one police official was martyred during the exchange of fire, while another sustained injuries and was shifted to the hospital for immediate medical treatment.
During the operation in Bannu, Abdullah – described by authorities as a key commander of the banned Fitna al-Khawarij – was killed, officials said. He was wanted in multiple cases, including attacks on police personnel and other serious offences.
Separately, an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) was also recovered near Azad Mandi on Miranshah Road and defused through timely action. The IGP also announced special rewards for the police team that participated in the operation.