Pakistani security forces killed 33 militants attempting to cross from Afghanistan, the military said Friday.
The overnight operation in Balochistan province’s Zhob district targeted fighters described as “Khwarij,” a term the government uses for the Pakistani Taliban.
Security forces continued search operations to locate and eliminate any remaining insurgents, the military said.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised the security forces for what he called a successful operation.
Pakistan blames India and Afghanistan for militant activity The military described the militants as “Indian-sponsored” but provided no evidence to support the claim.
Pakistan has long accused New Delhi of supporting the Pakistani Taliban and separatist groups in Balochistan. It also accuses Afghanistan’s Taliban government of ignoring militant activity near the border.
Both India and Afghanistan deny any involvement with militant groups.
Pakistan: What’s behind the Balochistan armed insurgency?To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Balochistan bans mobile internet Also Friday, the Balochistan government said mobile internet had been suspended in the region until the end of August.
Balochistan has faced years of insurgency from separatist groups, including attacks by the Pakistani Taliban and the banned Baloch Liberation Army, which seeks independence from Pakistan.
Much of the recent violence has been blamed on the Pakistani Taliban, a group separate from but closely allied with the Afghan Taliban. It operates along Pakistan’s northwest border with Afghanistan.
While officials say the insurgency is largely under control, violence persists.
Edited by: Rana Taha
Comments