Twelve militants were killed in an intelligence-based operation in Kalat district, Balochistan, on 2 September, the Inter-Services Public Relations said (Dawn; Express Tribune; Geo News).
What ISPR said
A hideout was “identified, monitored and busted through prompt surgical action”, and “all 12 Indian-sponsored terrorists” were killed. A cache of ammunition and improvised explosive devices was destroyed.
Sanitisation operations were continuing in the area. ISPR said counter-terrorism efforts would “continue at full pace” under the Azm-i-Istehkam campaign.
No security force casualties were reported.
On the naming
ISPR described those killed as belonging to “Fitna al Hindustan” — the term the military uses for Baloch separatist groups it says are backed by India. The India-sponsorship characterisation is an official Pakistani military assertion. India rejects such claims, and this newspaper has seen no independent evidence for it. It is reported here as attribution.
What can be verified, and what cannot
The account comes from a single official source. Kalat is not accessible to independent journalists, and there is no non-official tally to check the figure of 12 against — the same limitation that applied to the North Waziristan operation reported yesterday, in which ISPR said 15 were killed.
This is the second such announcement in two days, both single-sourced and both attributing the militants to Indian sponsorship. We publish the claims as claims.
Context
Balochistan has seen sustained militant activity through this year, with attacks on security forces, infrastructure and labourers. A think tank report published this week found that militant attacks increased in August while fatalities declined.
[Image: file photograph of Pakistan Army soldiers on guard in Islamabad, October 2024, used for representational purposes. Reuters/File, via Dawn.]
[Image: Reuters/File via Dawn]
