Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) announced on Thursday that a terrorist attack on a convoy of security forces in Balochistan’s Kech district had been foiled and that eight militants had been killed in a follow-up operation.
According to the ISPR statement, terrorists attempted to ambush the convoy of security forces on February 22 in the evening. However, alert and combat ready troops thwarted the attack without any loss of life, and subsequently launched a follow-up operation to hunt down the terrorists, using ground and aviation assets.
On the morning of February 23, a suspected hideout of terrorists was identified in the Mazaaband Range, where a sanitisation operation was launched. During this operation, eight terrorists were killed in a heavy exchange of fire, and a large cache of arms and ammunition, including explosives, was also recovered.
The ISPR statement reiterated that Pakistan’s security forces will continue to thwart any attempt by inimical elements to disrupt the peace in the province, on the behest of hostile intelligence agencies.
This development comes at a time when terrorist activities have surged in the country, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces, since the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) ended its ceasefire with the government in November.
Earlier this month, on February 10, two Pakistan Army soldiers were martyred in Balochistan’s Kohlu area, after an improvised explosive device (IED) exploded. The country has been fighting a long battle against terrorist organizations, and these incidents serve as a reminder of the ongoing threats faced by Pakistan’s security forces.