Three terrorists affiliated with a banned militant organization were killed in an operation conducted by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) in Mastung district, Balochistan, the department confirmed on Monday.
Pakistan has seen a surge in terrorist incidents over the past year, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, following the collapse of a ceasefire agreement between the government and the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in November 2022.
According to the CTD spokesperson, all three killed suspects were linked to the banned militant group Daesh (ISIS) and were planning future attacks.
The operation was initiated when a high-value Daesh suspect, already in CTD custody for involvement in the kidnapping and murder of a child, was taken to a suspected hideout in Mastung’s Dasht area for identification.
The suspect had previously been involved in a ransom-based kidnapping, where a minor was killed after the ransom was not paid. He was also connected to a Daesh operational cell engaged in fundraising and terrorist facilitation throughout the province.
As the CTD team reached the hideout, armed militants opened fire to try and rescue their associate. A gun battle followed, during which the detained suspect was killed by his own group amid the chaos, and two other armed militants were also neutralized on the spot.
The CTD reported that the group was involved in targeted killings, extortion, and using child abductions to finance terror activities.
Weapons, explosives, communication gear, and extremist literature were recovered from the location. A case is being registered at the CTD police station in Quetta, and further raids are being planned in Dasht and Spilinji to capture remaining members.
In a related incident on Friday, a deputy superintendent of police and a constable from the Balochistan Constabulary were martyred, and two others injured, when unidentified gunmen attacked their vehicle on the National Highway in Mastung.
Amid rising militant attacks, particularly in KP and Balochistan, security forces have escalated counterterrorism operations across the country.
Last week, CTD Balochistan, in coordination with other law enforcement agencies, killed five terrorists in an operation in Duki district.
On Sunday, four more terrorists were eliminated in another security operation in Balochistan’s Kalat district.
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