Peshawar, Feb 2: At least 15 Pakistani soldiers and 92 militants were killed in a series of counter-terrorism operations carried out across Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province, the army said on Sunday.The operations followed coordinated attacks by ethnic Baloch militant groups at multiple locations on Saturday, aimed at destabilising the region.
According to the military, militants targeted areas in and around Quetta, Mastung, Nushki, Dalbandin, Kharan, Panjgur, Tump, Gwadar and Pasni.
Security forces and law enforcement agencies, already on high alert, responded swiftly and conducted prolonged clearance operations.
During intense gun battles, troops killed 92 militants, including three suicide bombers.
The militants also attacked civilians, killing 18 people, including women, children, the elderly and labourers. Fifteen soldiers were killed during the operations.
In separate actions on Saturday, security forces killed 41 militants belonging to the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in Panjgur and Harnai districts.
With these operations, the total number of militants killed in Balochistan over the past two days rose to 133.
The army said sanitisation operations are continuing and vowed to eliminate militancy under the National Action Plan.