Pakistan: Three Terrorists Killed In Balochistan's Musakhel

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The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) in Balochistan said that an operation in the Musakhel district on early Sunday resulted in the deaths of three terrorists and the arrest of two others, as reported by the Dawn.

According to a CTD spokesperson, the operation was initiated based on "credible information" regarding the presence of terrorists from the banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) in the Rarhasham area of Musakhel.

"Forces [including] CTD, FC and police were deployed in the general area and late at night one of the deployed force contingents came across a group of 10-12 terrorists, moving towards the main road... The terrorists were intercepted and a heavy exchange of fire followed," the spokesperson stated, as reported by the Dawn.

During the clash, three terrorists were killed and two were captured, although five to seven others managed to escape in the dark of the night, the Dawn reported. A search operation is currently underway to locate them.

The operation also yielded a cache of weapons and ammunition. The deceased terrorists' bodies were sent to a hospital, and the arrested individuals are undergoing interrogation. An FIR has also been filed with the CTD, and further updates will be provided as they become available.

Earlier, the Balochistan CTD had registered an FIR against unidentified terrorists involved in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast in Mastung on Friday, which resulted in the deaths of nine people, including five children, and left 29 others injured. Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti condemned the attack, highlighting the increasing targeting of innocent children and labourers by terrorists, the Dawn reproted.

The region, particularly Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has seen a notable rise in terrorism-related incidents in recent months. While there was a 24 per cent decline in terror attacks in September compared to August, there were notable increases in August and July, as per monthly security reports

In 2023, Pakistan experienced 1,524 violence-related fatalities and 1,463 injuries from 789 terror attacks and counter-terror operations, marking a record six-year high in overall fatalities, including those of outlaws.