Based on security officials, the operation was initiated on intelligence reports about the presence of militants belonging to Indian-supported networks. In the exchange of gunfire, 10 terrorists were eliminated, while two security officials were injured. A large quantity of weapons and explosives was seized from the hideout, thwarting possible mass attacks in the area.
The strike came in the wake of a fatal suicide bombing outside the Frontier Corps (FC) headquarters in Quetta the day before, which killed 11 individuals, including two FC members, and wounded more than 20 others.
Authorities disclosed that the attack was conducted by terrorists in FC uniforms. One suicide bomber drove an explosive-packed vehicle into the FC complex, while five gunmen tried to breach the gates. Rapid action by security forces foiled the intrusion, eliminating all six terrorists, including the bomber.
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The incidents point to the upsurge in terrorist activities across Pakistan, as militant violence rose by 74% in August from the previous month of July, as per the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS). The think tank documented 194 deaths in terrorist attacks during the month alone.
The government has ramped up counter-terrorism operations, with security personnel carrying out IBOs across the country. Only last week, 17 terrorists belonging to the Indian proxy organization Fitna al-Khawarij were eliminated in Lakki Marwat district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.