"Pakistan's military has concluded a weeklong security operation in the restive southwestern Balochistan province, claiming the deaths of 216 fighters in targeted offensives. A military statement on Thursday said following the province-wide attacks by the separatist Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), carried out to destabilise the peace of Balochistan, security forces launched Operation Radd-ul-Fitna-1 (countering chaos) to dismantle terrorist sleeper cells through sustained combing and sanitisation operations through meticulous planning and actionable intelligence."
"The operation commenced on January 29 in response to a series of coordinated attacks by the BLA, which said it stormed schools, banks, markets and military installations across the region in one of its largest operations to date. The military claimed that 216 fighters were killed during the operations, significantly degrading the leadership, command-and-control structures and operational capabilities of terrorist networks. A substantial cache of foreign-origin weapons, ammunition, explosives and equipment was also recovered, the statement added."
The military launched Operation Radd-ul-Fitna-1 on January 29 after coordinated province-wide attacks by the Balochistan Liberation Army that targeted schools, banks, markets and military installations. Security forces conducted sustained combing and sanitisation operations, claiming 216 fighters killed and recovery of a substantial cache of foreign-origin weapons, ammunition, explosives and equipment. A preliminary analysis indicated fighters benefitted from systematic external facilitation and logistical support. The operations reportedly resulted in 36 civilian deaths, including women and children, and 22 security and law enforcement personnel fatalities. Violence in Balochistan has surged amid a long-running separatist insurgency in the resource-rich province.
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