Pakistan army says 8 India-linked militants killed in two-day sweep in Balochistan
The fighting took place in Kalat district during an intelligence-based operation targeting suspected 'Fitna al Hindustan,' a term the Pakistani military uses for militants it says are backed by neighbor and archrival India.
Pakistan's restive Balochistan province has long been the site of separatist and insurgent violence, and Islamabad has frequently alleged Indian involvement in destabilizing activities there, a charge New Delhi denies.
'Following the successful intelligence based operation conducted by the security forces in Kalat District of Balochistan on 19 July 2025, during which 4 x terrorists belonging to Indian proxy, Fitna al Hindustan were sent to hell; on 21 July 2025, a deliberate sanitization operation was conducted in the surrounding areas,' the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military's media wing, said in a statement.
'During the conduct of the operation, four more terrorists of Fitna al Hindustan were hunted down and successfully neutralized.'
The military said a hideout was also 'busted' and a large quantity of weapons, ammunition and explosives was recovered.
In a separate statement, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised security forces for the Kalat operation and reaffirmed his government's resolve to eliminate terrorism.
'The terrorists who seek to harm the lives and property of innocent citizens will have their nefarious ambitions buried,' Sharif said in a statement issued by his office.
'We will uproot Fitna al Hindustan, the enemy of Pakistan's sovereignty.'
The operation follows a series of recent accusations and military tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors, including most recently when they engaged in a four-day long air war in May.
India and Pakistan have in the past fought multiple wars over the disputed Kashmir region and regularly trade blame over cross-border militancy.
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