In a statement released on Friday, the military said the operations occurred in Balochistan, a province bordering Afghanistan that has long been a base for separatist groups seeking independence from Pakistan’s central government in Islamabad.
Pakistan’s security forces have carried out raids in the country’s southwest, killing at least 41 armed fighters whom the military alleged were linked to regional rival India.
In a statement released on Friday, the military said the operations occurred in Balochistan, a province bordering Afghanistan that has long been a base for separatist groups seeking independence from Pakistan’s central government in Islamabad.
Although the clashes happened near the Afghan border, the military claimed without providing evidence that the fighters involved were backed by India.
According to Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper, at least 30 fighters were killed in the first raid on the outskirts of Harnai district.
Army officials said the group belonged to Fitna-al-Khawarij, a term the government uses for the banned Pakistani Taliban (TTP), which is allied with Afghanistan’s Taliban.
In a separate operation in Panjgur district, the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations, said 11 “India-sponsored terrorists” from a group it called Fitna-al-Hindustan were killed.
The military added that ammunition and money allegedly stolen during a December bank robbery in Panjgur were recovered from those killed in the second raid.
Both operations took place on Thursday, and no soldiers were reported killed. India has not yet responded to the allegations.
Pakistan’s Express Tribune quoted President Asif Ali Zardari as saying the operation “reflects the state’s unwavering resolve,” while Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said “the entire nation stands with the armed forces in this ongoing fight against terrorism.”
Pakistan has experienced a surge in violence in recent months, largely attributed to Baloch separatist groups such as the banned Balochistan Liberation Army and the TTP.
In January, security forces killed 12 fighters accused of planning a hostage attack in Kharan district, with the military also alleging Indian backing in that case.
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