Mastung Operation Kills Three Militants, Including Commander Naqeeb

RAWALPINDI: Security forces have killed three suspected militants, including a commander identified as Naqeeb, during an operation in Mastung district of Balochistan, according to security officials. The operation is the latest in a series of counterterrorism actions reported across the province amid heightened security activity in several districts.

Officials said the three men were travelling in a vehicle when security forces targeted it using a quadcopter. The strike destroyed the vehicle and killed all three occupants. The initial account did not provide the precise location within Mastung, the timing of the engagement or details about the security units involved. It also did not report any casualties among security personnel or civilians.

Authorities described the men as belonging to a network the state refers to as Fitna al-Hindustan, a designation Pakistan uses for Balochistan-based militant groups it accuses of receiving support from India. The latest report identified Naqeeb as a commander but did not provide additional information about his organisational role, previous activities or the identities of the other two men killed in the operation.

The action follows a significant increase in counterterrorism operations across Balochistan this month. On September 4, the military's media wing said security forces had killed 48 militants during multiple operations conducted over roughly three days in Mastung, Quetta, Kalat and Sibi. Six militants were reported killed during an operation in Mastung alone, while ammunition and improvised explosive devices were also destroyed.

Further operations were reported in Kharan and Washuk districts on September 6 and 7. Officials later said 11 militants had been killed during those engagements and that approximately 2.9 tonnes of explosives had been recovered. The series of actions illustrates the sustained security focus on disrupting armed networks, weapons supplies and militant movement across different parts of the province.

Mastung has also experienced recent attacks on law-enforcement personnel. On September 10, armed attackers targeted a police checkpost in the Kank area of the district, killing one constable and seriously injuring another. Provincial authorities condemned that attack and said security operations would continue as part of efforts to protect residents and restore stability. President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif have also publicly backed continuing counterterrorism operations in Balochistan following earlier engagements this month.

Security officials said operations against militant networks would continue until the threat is eliminated. Further official information will be important to establish the identities and affiliations of those killed in the latest Mastung action and whether any weapons, explosives or other material were recovered from the targeted vehicle. The incident adds to a growing sequence of security developments in Balochistan that remain significant for Pakistan's internal security and counterterrorism strategy.