In a major counter-terrorism breakthrough, Pakistan’s security forces have eliminated 47 Indian-backed terrorists during separate operations in Balochistan’s Zhob district, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) announced on Saturday.

According to the military’s media wing, 33 terrorists were gunned down in the Sambaza area on the night between August 7 and 8 while attempting to infiltrate across the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Following the intense exchange, troops launched a deliberate sanitisation operation in the surrounding region, neutralising 14 more militants.

Weapons, ammunition, and explosives were recovered from the slain terrorists, identified as “khwarij” by the ISPR. The statement reaffirmed that Pakistan’s armed forces remain fully committed to securing national borders and defeating any attempt to destabilise peace and progress.

Read More: 33 terrorists killed as security forces foil infiltration bid in Zhob

Government leaders, including President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, praised the forces for their swift action. PM Shehbaz lauded the “heroic efforts” of soldiers who risked their lives to foil the terrorists’ “nefarious designs.”

The operation comes amid a worrying spike in cross-border attacks since the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan in 2021. A recent Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) report revealed that June alone saw 78 terrorist attacks, claiming at least 100 lives — including 53 security personnel.

Officials have vowed that all proxy militants will meet the same fate as those neutralised in Zhob, as Pakistan intensifies efforts to root out terrorism once and for all.