Major among soldiers embraced martyrdom: 24 terrorists killed in separate IBOs in North Waziristan, Balochistan

ISLAMABAD: Security forces killed 24 terrorists, including two Afghan nationals and a suicide bomber, in separate intelligence-based operations in North Waziristan and Balochistan, while four soldiers, including a major, embraced martyrdom during the engagements.

According to two statements issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), 16 terrorists were killed in North Waziristan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while eight others were eliminated during operations in the Kolpur area of Balochistan.

In North Waziristan, security forces engaged multiple terrorist locations in Mir Ali, Datta Khel and surrounding areas as part of ongoing intelligence-based operations.

Following intense exchanges of fire during the preceding 12 hours, 12 terrorists, including two Afghan nationals, were killed in Ali Khel, while two terrorists each were killed in Mir Ali and Datta Khel.

READ ALSO: Army major martyred in fire exchange with terrorists in North Waziristan: ISPR

The ISPR identified the militants as members of what it described as the Indian-sponsored Fitna-al-Khwarij network, saying the operations had dealt a significant blow to terrorist elements operating in the region.

However, two soldiers, Havildar Asmat Ali, 43, a resident of Swabi district, and Naik Aftab Ali, 32, a resident of Mardan district, embraced martyrdom during the engagements.

Weapons and ammunition were recovered from the killed militants, who, according to the ISPR, had been involved in numerous activities, including attacks on civilians.

Meanwhile, in Balochistan, security forces conducted multiple intelligence-based operations around Kolpur, Kardagap and Nushki beginning November 13, alongside area domination and patrolling activities to secure the Quetta–Taftan National Highway (N-40) for civilian traffic.

During an operation in Kolpur on the night of November 13 and 14, security forces killed eight terrorists, including a suicide bomber, and recovered a large cache of weapons and ammunition.

The ISPR said the militants belonged to Fitna-al-Hindustan, a designation used by Pakistani authorities for terrorist elements operating in Balochistan.

In a separate incident on November 14, militants targeted military vehicles on patrol using armed quadcopters, resulting in the martyrdom of Major Omer Minhas Nasir, a resident of Chakwal district, and Havaldar Muhammad Adnan Khan, a resident of Kotli Sattian.

The military alleged that the militants were receiving financial and technological assistance from India and other hostile intelligence agencies, including equipment such as drones and improvised explosive devices (IEDs), to target security personnel and civilians. The ISPR said the increasing use of drones and other technologies reflected an evolving terrorist threat, adding that security forces remained prepared to counter such tactics.

It maintained that the attacks would not undermine ongoing counterterrorism efforts and that clearance operations would continue until the remaining threats were eliminated.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026