The Pakistan military has claimed that more than 71 militants were killed during intelligence-based operations conducted across Balochistan over the past several days.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said Pakistani forces had killed 11 militants in Nushki district and six others in the Mand area of Kech district.
According to the statement, Pakistani forces also carried out intelligence-based operations in Quetta and Ziarat districts under what it described as “Operation Shaban”, during which 33 militants were killed between 21 September and the date of the announcement.
The military further stated that more than 71 militants had been killed during the previous 96 hours in Operation Shaban and other operations conducted in different parts of Balochistan.
The claims could not be independently verified.
The announcement comes amid continuing military operations in several districts of Balochistan, where authorities say security forces are targeting armed groups involved in attacks against Pakistani personnel and state installations.
However, some recent operations have generated controversy and conflicting accounts regarding those killed.
One such incident occurred in the Tump area of Kech district, where Pakistani forces carried out a drone strike that killed four people. Local residents, family members and political organisations alleged that the victims were civilians who had been on a picnic in a mountainous area.
According to relatives of the victims, the four men were unarmed civilians and were later portrayed as militants by Pakistani authorities. The incident prompted criticism from local residents and political groups, who called for an independent investigation into the strike.
Maulana Abdul Ghani Zamurani, patron-in-chief of Jamiat Ahl-e-Hadith Balochistan, stated that those killed included Zubair Nawab Tagrani, a local party leader in Tump and vice-chairman of the Kallag Tagran Union Council. He alleged that the victims had been targeted in a drone strike while on an outing and rejected any characterisation of them as militants.
As of the time of reporting, authorities had not publicly responded to the allegations made by the families and local political figures regarding the identities of those killed.
The incident has renewed debate over military operations in Balochistan and allegations surrounding the identification of those killed during “counterinsurgency actions”.
In previous cases reported by rights groups, families of missing persons and political organisations, individuals killed in so called security operations have been alleged to have been in state custody before their deaths. Pakistani authorities have denied involvement in many such allegations, while maintaining that military operations are conducted against armed groups operating in the region.
Balochistan has witnessed a rise in armed attacks and security operations in recent years. Armed groups, including the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) and Baloch Liberation Front (BLF), have claimed responsibility for attacks on Pakistani military personnel, infrastructure and economic projects, while security forces have continued large-scale operations across the region. However, the rights groups allege that Pakistani military forces punish civilians and extrajudicially kill people in state custody for the armed attacks in the region.