Security Forces Eliminate 14 More ‘Indian-Backed’ Terrorists in Zhob, Raising Toll to 47: ISPR

Pakistani forces kill 14 more Indian-backed terrorists in Zhob, Balochistan, raising the two-day operation toll to 47, says ISPR.

This latest success follows the elimination of 33 terrorists — identified as members of the “Indian proxy Fitna al Khawarij” — during clashes on August 7 and 8.

According to ISPR press release, a targeted sanitisation operation was carried out in the Sambaza area along the Pak-Afghan border on the night of August 8–9.

“Fourteen more Indian-sponsored Khawarij were neutralised, with weapons, ammunition, and explosives recovered,” the ISPR said.

The military noted that these kills came shortly after earlier engagements in Sambaza where 33 terrorists were “sent to hell”, bringing the two-day total to 47 eliminated militants.

The term Fitna al Khawarij is used by the state to refer to militants from the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). ISPR reaffirmed that security forces are determined to protect Pakistan’s borders and thwart any attempt to undermine the nation’s peace, stability, and progress.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi paid tribute to the military, calling the operation an exemplary blow to Indian-backed terrorism. In a post on X, Naqvi said:

“Security forces have, in just two days, sent 47 terrorists of Fitna al-Hindustan to hell, foiling a dangerous plot to destabilise Balochistan.”

In May, the government declared all terrorist organisations in Balochistan as Fitna al-Hindustan, a term used to highlight India’s alleged role in sponsoring violence. Terror incidents have surged in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan since the TTP ended its ceasefire in November 2022. Pakistan ranked second in the Global Terrorism Index 2025, with a 45% rise in terrorism-related deaths last year, reaching 1,081 fatalities.

Last month, forces killed three terrorists in Mastung, though two soldiers — including an army major — were martyred. In separate operations in Kalat, eight terrorists linked to Fitna al-Hindustan were also eliminated.