Monitoring Desk Islamabad
After consecutive and coordinated attacks of 300 terrorists for 4 days in Balochistan around Ziyarat area including Mangi Dam vicinity, after no help reached there, after murder of 42 innocent people including 4 civilians, 27 Policemen and 11 Soldiers, after a total blackout on mainstream media, after the affected people kicked out CM Bugti from the funeral of the victims and after they blocked Ziarat Cross highway to open only if Chief of Defense Staff , Chief of Army Staff , Field Marshal General Syed Asim Munir visits and meets them, finally DG ISPR appeared in a press conference in Rawalpindi and claimed 54 terrorists have been killed.
DG ISPR Lt-Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry says security forces neutralised 54 terrorists in three major attacks since July 5 across Balochistan. He reports 42 martyrs and says operations continue with air and ground efforts delayed over hostage risks.
- DG Lt-Gen Chaudhry says three major terrorist attacks since July 5 leave four civilians, 27 policemen and 11 soldiers martyred
- Says security forces eliminate 54 militants as ground and aerial operations continue across multiple areas
- Blames India-backed proxies, saying Afghan territory used as operational base for attacks
- Says hostage situation in Ziarat delayed use of air power as forces encircled terrorists with caution
- DG ISPR vows relentless action against terrorists, facilitators and handlers ‘wherever they are’
- Reiterates Pakistan’s resolve remains unshaken, declares Balochistan’s peace and development will be defended at all costs
RAWALPINDI: Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry on Wednesday said security forces had neutralised 54 terrorists while 42 people — including four civilians, 27 policemen and 11 security personnel — embraced martyrdom in three major terrorist attacks and the ensuing counterterrorism operations carried out across Balochistan over the past four days since July 5.
Addressing a press briefing in Rawalpindi, the DG ISPR said the three major incidents included an armed attack on the outskirts of Quetta on July 5, an assault on a police post in Ziarat on July 6, and an ambush on an army convoy in Bela on Wednesday.
Providing details of the incidents, Lt Gen Chaudhry said 42 people had laid down their lives while defending the country, whereas 54 terrorists had been confirmed killed in the operations, according to the latest update.
“So, in the three major operations that I told you about, initially four civilians, and then police and army jawaans were martyred, so our total martyrs are 42,” he stated.
The military spokesman vowed that all terrorists involved in the attacks would be brought to justice.
“All of them will be brought to their logical end, the conclusion that they deserve,” he asserted.
Lt Gen Chaudhry said the first of the three attacks occurred during the night of July 4 and 5 when “Fitna al Khawarij terrorists attacked the innocent local population” in Hanna Urak.
He said local residents put up a courageous resistance and “forced those terrorists belonging to Indian proxy Fitna Al Khawarij to flee”.
“During that, 4 brave innocent citizens were martyred and six were injured,” Lt Gen Chaudhry said.
Explaining the second incident, he said FAK terrorists launched a “multi-directional attack” on a police checkpost guarding Pumping Station No. 3 of Mangi Dam in Ziarat.
At least nine policemen, including two station house officers (SHOs), were martyred in the late Monday night attack. The DG ISPR said the policemen fought with exceptional courage and, during the exchange of fire, “15 kharji were sent to hell”, while nine policemen sacrificed their lives.
He said reinforcements from the Pakistan Army and Frontier Corps were dispatched immediately, but before they could reach the site, the terrorists abducted the remaining police personnel.
“Once the forces reached over there, there were at least 15 bodies of kharji left,” he said, noting that all the policemen were local residents.
Lt Gen Chaudhry said FC personnel, army troops and other law enforcement agencies continued pursuing and surrounding the terrorists.
“We were very careful because of the collateral damage not to use any aerial assets because they had taken our youth hostage,” he said.
The DG ISPR revealed that another 18 policemen were martyred as security forces continued operations against terrorists in the mountains of Ziarat since July 6.
“During this time, several khariji were killed as well, and once they knew that the net around them had been absolutely tightened, these cowards, low-lives martyred 18 brave personnel of Balochistan. They did that today,” he said, specifying that they were “18 of our police young boys”.
He added that the operation remained in progress and that 11 more terrorists had so far been killed.
Providing a casualty breakdown, Lt Gen Chaudhry said 9 policemen were martyred in the initial checkpost attack, while another 18 later embraced martyrdom, taking the total number of police personnel killed to 27.
On terrorist casualties, he said: “The dead bodies counted at the checkpost once they left the place were 15, and we have confirmed 11 [today], so total 26 kharijis have been killed.”
Turning to the third incident, the military spokesman said an army convoy came under attack by terrorists of the banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) in the Bela-Winder area.
“The convoy was attacked and 11 soldiers — one junior commissioned officer (JCO) and 10 jawaans — were martyred, and 14 terrorists of BLA Fitna al Hindustan were killed,” he said, adding that the incident occurred near the N-25 highway.
The government uses the term “Fitna al Hindustan” (FAH) to refer to groups it accuses of being sponsored by India to carry out terrorist attacks inside Pakistan.
Lt Gen Chaudhry further said security forces also killed six FAH terrorists during an operation in Kharan and another eight in Dalbandin.
‘Forces with India using illegitimate Afghan Taliban regime’
Speaking about those behind the attacks, Lt Gen Chaudhry blamed India and “those forces with India who cannot tolerate Pakistan’s respect, prosperity and stability”.
AFGHANISTAN
He reiterated the state’s position that these elements were using “the territories under the control of this illegitimate Afghan Taliban regime as a base of operation”.
The DG ISPR asserted that the “majority” of terrorists engaged and killed during operations were Afghan nationals. He said three of the four attackers involved in the June 27 assault on a Rangers camp in Karachi were Afghan.
“The whole planning, equipping, everything was done from Afghanistan,” he said.
Highlighting that the attacks occurred simultaneously at multiple locations, including Winder, Babrai and near Mangi Dam, Lt Gen Chaudhry said there was “a scheme, mastermind, intent, logistics, operational sequence behind it”.
Stressing that Afghanistan was “providing the manpower for it”, he said: “You do not want Balochistan to prosper? Because you know that Balochistan is Pakistan’s lifeline and its pride. Because you know that Balochistan’s prosperity is a reality that no one can change.
“You cannot digest it? You cannot accept it? You have a problem with the pipeline supplying water to Quetta? You have a problem with everything that is for the people of Balochistan.”
“If that be it, then we are absolutely clear,” he said, affirming that the armed forces — under the leadership of Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir and the guidance of the government — had complete resolve and clarity on how to deal with such threats.
“We will hunt you, and we will hurt you everywhere,” the DG ISPR declared.
He said the government and the people of Balochistan shared the same resolve, noting that Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti travelled by road to Ziarat after the Mangi Dam incident and met local residents.
Lt Gen Chaudhry said the state’s consistent position over the past three years — that terrorists had nothing to do with Islam and that FAH had “nothing to do with Balochiyat” — had created growing concern among terrorist groups.
“The government is telling them that we will throw out all these illegal Afghans, then they have a problem with that. They think by carrying out such acts, they can deter us,” he said.
