Pakistani security forces launched Operation Al-Azm in Tehsil Khad Kucha, Mastung district, Balochistan, on Thursday, killing 15 terrorists and wounding 12 others in a targeted clearance operation against what officials designate as Fitna al-Hindustan, a foreign-backed militant network.
The operation involved a coordinated deployment of blocks and ambushes at multiple locations where terrorists were believed to be present, followed by intense exchanges of fire at several points simultaneously. Eight suspects were detained during the course of the operation, one militant hideout was destroyed, and security forces seized a large cache of weapons and ammunition along with seven motorcycles. No casualties were reported among security personnel.
The operation reflects the military’s continuing campaign to dismantle militant networks operating in Balochistan, particularly those designated as foreign-sponsored proxies. Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, addressing the 20th National Workshop on Balochistan in Rawalpindi earlier this week, reaffirmed that targeted operations would continue with full resolve until terrorism and its facilitators are eliminated from Pakistan. He also warned that foreign-sponsored proxies seeking to destabilise Balochistan would be defeated.
Operation Al-Azm comes amid a broader and intensifying security crackdown across Balochistan, following a wave of coordinated terrorist attacks in the province since July 4 that claimed the lives of 42 civilians, police personnel, and soldiers, and prompted high-level civil-military consultations in Quetta. The military has repeatedly attributed the ongoing militancy in Balochistan to foreign backing and cross-border facilitation, with India named as the principal external actor directing operations against the province.
