38 security personnel martyred, 54 terrorists neutralised in recent Balochistan attacks: DG ISPR

Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry addressed a press conference on Wednesday, providing details of the recent terrorist incidents in Balochistan.

At the outset of his press briefing, the DG ISPR noted that there have been “three major terrorist incidents” in the past four days.

The first took place on July 4/July 5 when “Fitna al Khawarij terrorists attacked the innocent local population” in Hanna Urak, he said, adding that the residents fought back very valiantly and “forced those terrorists belonging to Indian proxy Fitna Al Khwarij to flee”.

The government uses the term “Fitna al-Khawarij” to refer to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and its affiliates.

“During that, four brave innocent citizens were martyred and six were injured,” Lt Gen Chaudhry said.

Detailing the second incident, he recalled that FAK terrorists carried out a “multidirectional attack” on a police checkpost, which guards Pumping Station No.3 of Mangi Dam in Ziarat district.

On late Monday night, at least nine policemen, including two station house officers (SHOs), were martyred in a terrorist attack on the police post in Ziarat. Fifteen terrorists were killed in a clearance operation initiated following the attack.

The DG ISPR recalled that the policemen stood their ground and fought back and in “that fight, 15 kharji were sent to hell”, while nine policemen laid down their lives.

He noted that reinforcements of the army and the Frontier Corps were immediately dispatched, but “before they could reach, the terrorists took the remaining police officials and took them hostage”.

“Once the forces reached over there, there were at least 15 bodies of kharji left,” he said, highlighting that the cops were all locals.

Lt Gen Chaudhry recalled that the FC, army personnel and other law enforcement agencies (LEAs) “kept on engaging them and started surrounding them”.

“We were very careful because of the collateral damage not to use any aerial assets because they had taken our youth hostage,” he said.

The DG ISPR revealed that 18 policemen were martyred as engagement with terrorists continued in the “mountains of Ziarat since July 6”.

“During this time, several khariji were killed as well, and once they knew that the net around them had been absolutely tightened, these cowards, low-lives martyred 18 brave personnel of Balochistan. They did that today,” he said, specifying that they were “18 of our police young boys”.

The ISPR spokesman noted that the operation was still underway, with 11 terrorists killed so far.

Providing a breakdown of the casualties from the recent terrorist incidents, he said nine policemen were martyred on the first day (July 4/5) and another 18, bringing the total number of cops who lost their lives to 27.

On the losses inflicted upon the terrorists, he said, “The dead bodies were counted at the checkpost once they left the place were 15, and we have confirmed 11 [today], so total 26 kharijis have been killed.”

Providing details of the third terrorist incident that took place today, Lt Gen Chaudhry said an army convoy in the area of Bela, Winder, and had an “engagement” with terrorists of the banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA).

“The convoy was attacked and 11 soldiers — one junior commissioned officer and 10 jawaans — were martyred, and 14 terrorists of BLA Fitna al Hindustan were killed,” he said, adding that the incident took place near the N-25 highway.

The government uses the term “Fitna al-Hindustan” to refer to groups it accuses of being sponsored by India to execute terrorist attacks on Pakistani soil.

Moreover, the DG ISPR said, the security forces killed six terrorists in an operation in Kharan and another eight terrorists in Dalbandin, all of whom he said were of FAH.

“So, in the three major operations that I told you about, initially four civilians and then police and army jawaans [were martyred], so our total martyrs are 42,” he stated.

“Forty-two precious lives of this country … they gave their lives while protecting their country,” he emphasised.

The DG ISPR added that 54 terrorists were confirmed to have been eliminated, as per the latest update.

“Right now, the situation is that the engagement is going on at multiple places. I will give you the details in a bit. Army, FC, LEAs, security forces and intelligence agencies are taking them on, both on the ground and air,” he said.

The military spokesman vowed: “All of them will be brought to their logical end, the conclusion that they deserve.”

Speaking about who was behind the attacks, Lt Gen Chaudhry named India and “those forces with India who cannot tolerate Pakistan’s respect, prosperity and stability”.

He reiterated the state’s stance that the elements were using “the territories under the control of this illegitimate Afghan Taliban regime as a base of operation”.

The DG ISPR asserted that the “majority” of the terrorists engaged and killed “turn out to be Afghan”.

He said that three of the four attackers in the June 27 attack on a Rangers camp in Karachi were Afghan. “The whole planning, whole equipping, everything was done from Afghanistan.”

Highlighting that the attacks took place in multiple locations, including Winder, Babrai and near Mangi Dam, the DG ISPR said there “is a scheme, mastermind, intent, logistics, operational sequence behind it”.

Stressing that Afghanistan was “providing the manpower for it”, he said, “You do not want Balochistan to prosper? Because you know that Balochistan is Pakistan’s lifeline and its pride. Because you know that Balochistan’s prosperity is a reality that no one can change.

“You cannot digest it? You cannot accept it? You have a problem with the pipeline supplying water to Quetta? You have a problem with everything that is for the people of Balochistan.

“If that be it, then we are absolutely clear,” he said, affirming that the armed forces — under the leadership of Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir and the guidance of the government — had the resolve and clarity on “what to do with them”.

“We will hunt you and we will hurt you everywhere,” the DG ISPR declared.

He emphasised that the government and people of Balochistan also had the same “clarity”, pointing out that Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti travelled by road to Ziarat and spoke to the people there after the Mangi Dam incident happened.

Lt Gen Chaudhry remarked that the clarity shown by the state for the past three years — that terrorists had nothing to do with Islam and the FAH had “nothing to do with Balochiyat” — was creating “worry” among the terrorists.

“The government is telling them that we will throw out all these illegal Afghans, then they have a problem with that. They think by carrying out such acts, they can deter us,” he said.

“You can only deter someone who knows how to be deterred. Nobody has been born in the world who can deter the Pakistani state,” the DG ISPR declared.

“We are here and we will remain here. Pakistan is here, Balochistan is here and the people of Balochistan are here,” he asserted.

The military spokesman vowed to “take on each and every terrorist, their facilitators, those who harbour them, those who furnish them, those who provide them bases, wherever they are, without any distinction”.

“Don’t expect any sort of rationality and proportionality from us if you are going to touch our kids, our brave policemen, our soldiers and our innocent citizens. And then you think we will adopt rationality and proportionality and will hold a dialogue with you?” he said.

Concluding his press briefing, the DG ISPR stressed that the security forces, LEAs, and the people were fighting the war against terrorism and will “achieve victory in it under all circumstances because we are on the rightful path, are standing on the truth and to protect ourselves”.