CM Bugti warns extremists turning to organized crime, promises full-scale response through intelligence-based operations
Security forces successfully foiled a major terrorist attack in Balochistan’s Kharan, killing 12 militants, the military’s media wing reported on Friday. Clearing and search operations continue in the area to eliminate any remaining threats.
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), around 15 to 20 terrorists associated with the India-sponsored group Fitna-al-Hindustan carried out several attacks in Kharan.
The targets included Kharan City Police Station, National Bank of Pakistan and Habib Bank Limited. During the raid, the militants looted Rs3.4 million from the banks. The attackers intended to create a hostage situation at the police station, but the quick and effective response of the security forces thwarted their plans.
Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti praised the Frontier Corps for their swift action and confirmed that a civilian was injured during the operation and is being treated at the Combined Military Hospital. He said security forces killed four militants instantly at three locations while the remaining attackers were eliminated in subsequent encounters.
Bugti noted that such incidents indicate a worrying trend in which extremist elements are increasingly moving from ideological activities to organized criminal acts, including bank robberies.
He stressed that “every time they come to the streets, they will be beaten and when they try to hide in their holes, we will hunt and defeat them through Intelligence Based Operations (IBOs).” He described this as the ‘response mechanism’ that is now fully operational based on intelligence shared by local communities.
The CM also raised concerns about digital infrastructure in remote areas. He questioned the installation of mobile internet towers in sparsely populated regions such as Sangan and warned that uncontrolled 4G networks could create security vulnerabilities. He called for who authorized these installations and warned that such facilities could be exploited by hostile elements to target law enforcement agencies and undermine state security.
At the same briefing in Quetta, Bugti announced a major provincial initiative worth Rs 3 billion to expand fiber optic links across Balochistan. The project aims to connect schools, colleges, universities and hospitals through fiber optic cables, ensuring wider internet access while maintaining surveillance to prevent misuse.
Bugti also highlighted the broader regional context, linking the recent increase in security challenges to developments following the Taliban takeover of Kabul in 2021. Citing official figures from military authorities, he noted that law enforcement agencies conducted over 75,000 intelligence-based operations across Pakistan in 2025, resulting in more than 2 killings of 50 terrorists in Pakistan.
ISPR confirmed that clearance operations are continuing in Kharan and surrounding areas to eliminate any remaining India-sponsored militants. Under the National Action Plan and the federally endorsed vision ‘Azm-e-Istihkam’, security forces and law enforcement agencies remain committed to fight terrorism until foreign sponsored terrorism is completely eradicated from Pakistan, it maintained.
