Pakistan’s military media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said on Sunday that 17 people were killed in two intelligence-based operations conducted last week in Balochistan’s Dera Bugti and Kalat districts.
The ISPR said forces carried out an operation in Dera Bugti on 5 December following reports of the presence of fighters allegedly linked to Baloch armed groups. According to the statement, a gun battle took place during which five people were killed. The military said weapons, ammunition and explosives were recovered and that clearance operations were ongoing in the area.
In a second statement, ISPR claimed that another intelligence-based operation was conducted on December 6 in Kalat district, where 12 people were killed following an exchange of fire. ISPR again stated that weapons and explosives were recovered and that search operations were continuing to locate any remaining suspects.
However, human rights organizations and families of missing persons have long disputed such official accounts. They argue that Pakistani armed forces frequently carry out so-called “fake encounters”, in which individuals who had previously been forcibly disappeared are later killed and subsequently presented as armed militants.
According to these groups, this practice is often used as a face-saving measure following major attacks carried out by Baloch “pro-independence” groups. They argue that missing persons are sometimes killed shortly after high-profile insurgent operations and later described as fighters during official briefings.
They note that those killed in these operations are rarely identified publicly, and that families are generally denied independent verification or access to bodies before burial.
The latest ISPR announcements came days after the Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) claimed responsibility for a major attack in Nokkundi, in which it said its fighters killed 76 Pakistani military personnel, including foreign employees, during a prolonged assault on the Frontier Corps brigade headquarters.
The identities of those killed in the Dera Bugti and Kalat operations have not been publicly disclosed, and independent verification of the ISPR’s version of events remains limited due to restricted access and media limitations in the region.
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