Pakistan says Operation Shaban killed 88 terrorists in Balochistan

Karachi,UPDATED: Jul 11, 2026 17:12 IST

Pakistan said on Saturday that 88 terrorists have been killed in Balochistan since the launch of Operation Shaban on July 5. The major anti-terror operation was launched after insurgents carried out several coordinated attacks across the province.

The military, paramilitary Rangers and the Frontier Corps are taking part in the operation, which has included ground and air offensives against the militants. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said nine terrorists were killed in the past 24 hours. "The total number of terrorists killed since July 5 in Operation Shaban has reached 88," he said.

The deadliest attack on July 5 targeted a police checkpoint at Mangi Dam in Ziarat district, where militants killed nine policemen before abducting 18 others. Officials later recovered their bodies from the Zarghoon Gar mountainous area near Ziarat.

Families of the slain policemen continued their sit-in at Koila Phatak Chowk on the outskirts of Quetta, demanding justice and better security for law enforcement personnel. On Friday, the protesters brought eight of the 18 bodies from the Civil Hospital in Quetta to the protest site and said they would not bury them until the government assured them of justice and better protection for police personnel.

Also on July 5, militants attacked members of the Hanna Urak Valley tribe near Quetta, killing five tribesmen, injuring eight others and abducting 11 people. The abducted tribesmen were recovered on Friday night, after which the protest by their relatives near Quetta's Airport Road was called off.

Balochistan has faced unrest for about two decades, with local ethnic Baloch groups and parties alleging that the federal government was exploiting the province's mineral wealth. The latest operation has continued alongside protests by families affected by the July 5 attacks.

With PTI Inputs

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