Pakistan reports 88 militants killed in ongoing Balochistan operation
At least 88 militants have been killed in Pakistan's Balochistan province since the launch of a major anti-terror operation on July 5, the government announced on Saturday (July 11, 2026).
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi stated that nine militants were killed in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 88 since the start of Operation Shaban.
The operation involves the military, paramilitary Rangers, and the Frontier Corps, with both ground and air offensives targeting insurgents. It was launched after a series of coordinated attacks across Balochistan on July 5.
The deadliest attack occurred at a police checkpoint at Mangi Dam in Ziarat district, where militants killed nine policemen and abducted 18 others. Their bodies were later recovered from the Zarghoon Gar mountainous area near Ziarat.
Families of the slain policemen have been staging a sit-in protest at Koila Phatak Chowk on the outskirts of Quetta, demanding justice and improved security for law enforcement personnel. On Friday (July 10, 2026), protesters brought eight of the 18 bodies from the Civil Hospital in Quetta to the protest site, vowing not to bury them until the government ensures justice and better protection.
Separately, on July 5, militants attacked members of the Hanna Urak Valley tribe near Quetta, killing five tribesmen, injuring eight, and abducting 11 people. The abducted tribesmen were recovered on Friday night (July 10, 2026), leading to the end of a protest by their relatives near Quetta's Airport Road.
Balochistan has experienced unrest for about two decades, with local ethnic Baloch groups alleging that the federal government is exploiting the province's mineral wealth.
