Security Forces Kill Eight India-Backed Terrorists in Baluchistan IBOs: ISPR

QUETTA; Security forces killed eight India-backed terrorists in three intelligence-based operations (IBOs) carried out in Quetta, Nushki and Khuzdar districts of Baluchistan, said Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) in a statement on Sunday. According to the military’s media wing, security forces conducted the IBOs on October 17 on the reported presence of terrorists belonging to Indian proxy Fitna al-Hindustan. “On 17th October 2026, terrorists attempting to establish a roadblock in Panjpai area of district Quetta to disrupt local traffic were intercepted by security forces, resulting in the killing of five Indian-sponsored terrorists,” read the statement. It further said that during a sanitisation operation in Nushki district, security forces busted terrorists’ hideout and, after an intense fire exchange, two India-backed terrorists were eliminated. Weapons and ammunition were also recovered from the killed terrorists during the operation, it added.  “In another IBO in district Khuzdar, a terrorist hideout was engaged by security forces through prompt offensive action, whereby one Indian sponsored terrorist was killed,” the ISPR said.  A large quantity of explosives (490 kilograms) was also recovered, it added. The statement said that sanitization operations were being conducted to eliminate any other Indian sponsored terrorist found in the area. The military said that security forces and law enforcement agencies would continue counterterrorism operations at full pace under the Azm-e-Istehkam vision. Pakistan has witnessed a sharp rise in cross-border terrorist incidents, particularly in KP and Baluchistan, since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in 2021. Pakistan recorded its highest monthly number of militant attacks in 12 years during September 2026. According to data compiled by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), an Islamabad-based independent think tank monitoring anti-state violence in the region, 225 militant attacks were recorded across the country in September, compared with 199 in August — an increase of 13%. Militant attacks increased for the third consecutive month. Islamabad has repeatedly urged Kabul to prevent its territory from being used by militant organizations to carry out attacks inside Pakistan. Pakistan maintains that the Afghan Taliban regime has to take effective action against groups responsible for attacks on Pakistani security forces and civilians. Despite multiple rounds of talks, Islamabad and Kabul have yet to resolve their differences, with the issue of militant groups operating from Afghan soil remaining a major point of contention between the two sides.