Pakistan's military announced on Thursday that it has concluded a week-long security operation in Balochistan after targeted offensives that the army says resulted in the deaths of 216 militants across the southwestern province.
The operation was launched after the separatist Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) carried out one of its largest-ever coordinated assaults on Saturday, storming schools, banks, markets and security installations and effectively bringing Balochistan to a virtual standstill. The military said the BLA strikes killed 22 security personnel and 36 civilians.
According to the army, the counteroperation was "intelligence driven" and carried out under the name Radd Al-Fitna 1 (countering chaos), which the military stated began on January 29. In an official statement the military added that "Through meticulous planning, actionable intelligence, and seamless joint execution Pakistan’s security forces and law enforcement agencies with support of intelligence agencies under Operation Radd-ul-Fitna-1 responded with precision and resolve," and that a total of 216 militants had been killed in Balochistan since the start of the operation.
Security officials and witnesses described how insurgents seized government buildings and police stations in several locations. In one notable episode the militants occupied the desert town of Nushki for three days before being forced out by security forces. The military said helicopters and drones were deployed to Nushki to end the siege.
Balochistan, the country’s largest and poorest province, borders Iran and Afghanistan. The province is mineral-rich and hosts Chinese investments including the Gwadar deepwater port and associated projects. The military statement and reporting from the field underscore the province’s strategic significance amid a decades-long insurgency led by ethnic Baloch separatists, who the article says have sought greater autonomy and a larger share of its natural resources.
The military framed the offensive as a coordinated intelligence-led response to the BLA's attacks, while local accounts and officials reported the temporary seizures of towns and infrastructure. The use of aerial assets in Nushki was highlighted as a key element in dislodging insurgents who had established control there for several days.
While the military has declared the operation concluded, the reporting notes the persistence of an insurgency that has repeatedly targeted government installations and other sites in the province. The clash of armed actors, the presence of high-value investments such as Gwadar, and the province’s resource wealth were all cited in coverage of the unrest and the security response.
Summary
The Pakistani military said it concluded a week-long, intelligence-driven operation in Balochistan after a series of coordinated BLA attacks that temporarily seized towns and installations; officials report 216 militants killed, 22 security personnel and 36 civilians dead.