Two soldiers martyred, five terrorists killed in Balochistan gunbattle

At least five terrorists were killed and two soldiers embraced martyrdom as security forces thwarted militants’ bid to attack a check post in a remote area of Balochistan, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Tuesday.

The military’s media wing said the terrorists' attempt to enter the post in Gulistan area of Qila Abdullah district of Balochistan was effectively thwarted by troops. “[…] which forced the khwarij [terrorists] to ram an explosive-laden vehicle into the perimeter wall of the post,” it added.

It added the troops fought bravely and in the ensuing exchange of fire, all five terrorists including the two suicide bombers “were sent to hell”.

However, during the intense skirmish, two brave sons of soil — Naik Tahir Khan, 39, resident of Tank district and Lance Naik Tahir Iqbal, 26, resident of Karak district, having fought gallantly, paid the ultimate sacrifice and embraced shahadat, the ISPR said.

It further said that a sanitisation operation was launched in the area and the perpetrators of this heinous act will be brought to justice.

“Security forces of Pakistan are determined to eliminate the menace of terrorism and such sacrifices of our brave men further strengthen our resolve.”

In a separate statement, the ISPR said security forces killed three terrorists during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Jani Khel area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Bannu district.

During the conduct of operation on January 27 (Monday), troops effectively engaged terrorists location, as a result of which, "three khwarij [terrorists] were sent to hell, while nine khwarij got injured," it added.

Pakistan witnessed a surge in violent attacks since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021, particularly in the bordering provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

The year 2024 turned out to be the deadliest for Pakistan's civil and military security forces in a decade with at least 685 fatalities and 444 terror attacks, according to “CRSS Annual Security Report 2024” issued by Centre for Security and Strategic Studies.

Equally alarming were the cumulative losses of civilians and security personnel, i.e., 1,612 fatalities, accounting for over 63% of the total recorded this year, marking 73% more losses compared to 934 outlaws eliminated, The News reported citing CRSS report.

The overall fatalities recorded the previous year were a record 9-year high and over 66% more than in 2023. On average, nearly seven people lost their lives daily, with November emerging as the deadliest month across all metrics, compared to all other months of the year.

The violence took the heaviest toll on KP which topped in human losses with 1,616 fatalities, followed by Balochistan with 782 fatalities. In 2024, the country suffered 2,546 violence-linked fatalities and 2,267 injuries among civilians, security personnel and outlaws.

This tally of casualties stemmed from 1,166 incidents of terror attacks and counter-terror operations, marking a grim year for the country's security landscape.