On 5 March 2025, Pakistani security forces conducted intelligence-based operations in Balochistan’s Harnai and Besima districts, resulting in the deaths of 15 individuals, according to Pakistan army’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
In Harnai District, the ISPR stated that an operation was carried out following reports of the presence of members of “Fitna al Khwarij”, a term used by Pakistan Army to describe TTP members. Authorities said security forces engaged a suspected militant hideout, with twelve individuals reportedly killed during the encounter. These claims could not be verified independently.
Separately, in Besima District, the ISPR reported that Pakistani security forces targeted individuals it linked to “Fitna al Hindustan” – a label Pakistani officials now routinely use for Baloch “pro-independence” armed groups, which they allege are backed and financed by India, though no evidence has been presented to substantiate these claims. Three individuals were killed following an exchange of fire, with weapons, ammunition, and explosives recovered, ISPR said.
On the same day, media reports indicate that a large group of armed men established a blockade on a key highway in Besima. Meanwhile, the ‘pro-independence’ Baloch armed group the Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) claimed responsibility for the blockade and said two quadcopters were shot down. Pakistani authorities reported that three militants were killed and seven injured during countermeasures, releasing footage purportedly showing strikes on militant positions. The video appears to show armed men evading the attacks, though minor injuries may have occurred. The BLF did not report any casualties in connection with the highway incident.
https://x.com/i/status/2030203599884787761
Local sources expressed concern that some of the individuals involved in the operations could include previously forcibly disappeared youth, noting that similar cases have occurred in the past.
The ISPR said that further operations are ongoing to neutralise any remaining militant elements in the area as part of the broader counter-terrorism campaign “Azm-e-Istehkam,” approved by the Federal Apex Committee on the National Action Plan. Authorities emphasised that efforts to eliminate “foreign-sponsored terrorism” in the region would continue.
It should be noted that in previous operations, claims by the ISPR have sometimes been disputed by independent observers and human rights groups. In some cases, no bodies were presented at hospitals, or recovered individuals were later identified as previously forcibly disappeared persons. Baloch human rights groups have repeatedly expressed concerns that Pakistani forces may execute missing persons in staged “fake encounters” and subsequently label them as militants. The latest ISPR claims have again raised fears that the alleged insurgents could include Baloch missing persons.