Kalat operation: 18 soldiers martyred, 12 terrorists neutralised in Balochistan

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Saturday stated that at least 18 security personnel were martyred, while five others, including two civilians, were wounded during a counter-operation against militants in the southwestern town of Kalat, Balochistan.

Deputy Commissioner Bilal Shabbir said that a van carrying soldiers was targeted in one of the attacks on Friday. Additionally, the militants launched two more attacks  in the Mangochar area of Kalat.

Subsequently, the security forces conducted a joint operation in the area, neutralising at least 12 terrorists, while 18 soldiers were martyred, a press release shared by the ISPR stated. 

In the statement, the ISPR said that terrorists attempted to block a road on the night of January 31, prompting security forces and law enforcement agencies to immediately mobilise swifty to thwart the terrorists’ nefarious intentions.

Read More: Record number of terrorists neutralised by security forces in 2024: ISPR

Security forces had taken control of the area and reopened the Karachi-Quetta highway and its surrounding roads for traffic.

“The bodies of the slain soldiers were shifted to Quetta,” Shabbir said. “We don’t know how many attackers were killed because they took the bodies of their fighters to the mountains in the dark.”

Meanwhile, the banned separatist outfit Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attacks.