Pakistan Army and Frontier Corps eliminate seven India-sponsored militants while five security personnel were martyred during a sanitization operation in Balochistan's Barkhan district.
Security forces are seen taking position during an operation in this undated image. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) confirmed that Pakistan Army and Frontier Corps Balochistan personnel commenced a sanitization operation in Barkhan's Nosham area on the morning of May 13 to eliminate terrorists of India-backed Fitna al-Hindustan. The military's media wing stated that during the operation, a group of terrorists was located and engaged by troops, resulting in seven terrorists being killed in an exchange of fire. Weapons, ammunition, and explosives were also recovered from the slain militants.
However, during intense fire exchanges, five brave sons of soil, including an army major, met their ultimate sacrifice and embraced martyrdom. The martyred personnel were identified as Major Tauseef Ahmed Bhatti, 31, a resident of Pakpattan district; Naik Fida Hussain, 36, from Sukkur district; Sepoy Zakir Hussain, 32, from Skardu district; Sepoy Suhail Ahmed, 21, from Khanewal district; and Sepoy Muhammad Ayaz, 24, from Rahim Yar Khan district. The ISPR emphasized that security forces continue a sanitization operation to eliminate any other India-sponsored terrorists in the area.
The military vowed that the relentless counter-terrorism campaign under the vision "Azm e Istehkam," as approved by the Federal Apex Committee on the National Action Plan, will continue at full pace to wipe out the menace of foreign-sponsored and supported terrorism from the country. Pakistan has witnessed a sharp increase in cross-border terrorist incidents, particularly in the bordering provinces of KP and Balochistan, since the Afghan Taliban took power in Afghanistan in 2021.
Islamabad has repeatedly urged Kabul to prevent its soil from being used by terrorist organizations to carry out attacks inside its territory. Despite many rounds of talks, both countries have so far failed to reach an agreement due to the Afghan Taliban regime's reluctance to take action against terror groups operating from its soil. Pakistan launched Operation Ghazab lil-Haq in February this year, following clashes triggered by unprovoked gunfire by the Afghan Taliban regime at multiple border points.
