5 more terrorists killed during ongoing Operation Shaban in Balochistan: state media

Security forces have killed another five terrorists during the ongoing Operation Shaban in Balochistan, following which the total number of terrorists killed in the operation reached 76, state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported on Monday, citing security sources.

Operation Shaban is being jointly carried out across the province by the army, Frontier Corps and Balochistan Police following the terrorist July 7 attack in the Mangi Dam area, in which 27 police personnel were martyred.

Security forces are targeting the terrorists through both aerial and ground operations, the Radio Pakistan report said.

It further quoted security sources as saying that a total of 114 terrorists had been killed during Operation Shaban and other intelligence-based operations in Balochistan since July 5.

A day earlier, security forces killed seven terrorists during operation, raising the total number of terrorist killed in the operation to 71, according to Radio Pakistan.

The outlet had earlier reported that three terrorists were killed, and later said another four were eliminated in the Saran Tangi area.

Security sources reaffirmed that Operation Shaban will continue in Balochistan until the last terrorist is eliminated.

In the July 7 attack on a police checkpost, terrorists had martyred nine police personnel and taken away 18 other cops at gunpoint. Later, they killed the abducted police personnel, whose bodies were found in the Zarghoon Gar mountainous area.

Last week, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that the country’s civil and military leadership had taken a “mutual and singular decision” to end terrorism after multiple major terrorist incidents in Balochistan.

He made the remarks at a meeting of the Provincial Apex Committee on the National Action Plan in Quetta, with Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir also present.

Chairing the meeting, PM Shehbaz said, “One thing is decided: it is a mutual and singular decision of the civil and military leadership that we must end terrorism collectively.” ...