Three More Militants Killed in Operation Shaban on July 17; Cumulative Total Reaches 132 Since July 5
Security forces killed three more militants in Operation Shaban on July 17, raising the combined toll from the operation and concurrent intelligence-based operations in Balochistan to 132 since the campaign began on July 5. Operations are running on two fronts — against TTP cells in the north around Ziarat and BLA networks in the south around Lasbela and Khuzdar. The Diplomat reported the dual-front nature makes Shaban qualitatively different from previous Balochistan operations.
By Frontpage.devJuly 18, 2026 · 8:52 am PKT · 1 min read
(The Nation)
Security forces killed three more militants in Operation Shaban on July 17, bringing the cumulative toll from the operation and simultaneous intelligence-based operations across Balochistan to 132 since the campaign launched on July 5, security sources said (The Nation; Bol News).
No security force casualties were reported in the July 17 operations. The ISPR has maintained throughout the campaign that operations will continue “until the last militant is eliminated.”
The Diplomat reported separately that Operation Shaban is qualitatively different from previous Balochistan counterterrorism campaigns in that it is running simultaneously on two distinct fronts: against Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan cells operating in the Pashtun-majority northern districts around Ziarat, and against Balochistan Liberation Army networks in the Baloch-majority south around Lasbela and Khuzdar (The Diplomat). The dual-front nature requires different operational approaches and separate intelligence streams, complicating coordination between the Army, Frontier Corps and police elements involved.
Operation Shaban was launched on July 5 in response to a wave of coordinated attacks across multiple Balochistan districts on July 4–8 that killed 42 people, including 38 security personnel. The operation’s twelfth day saw 3 more killed, continuing the pattern of daily kills in single digits that has characterised the campaign since its second week.
