Pakistan Declares Major Balochistan Operation Over, Claims 216 Militants Killed
QUETTA, Pakistan — Pakistan's military said on Thursday it has concluded a large-scale security operation in the southwestern province of Balochistan, claiming the deaths of at least 216 militants during the offensive.
The announcement marks a significant escalation in the government's efforts to quell a persistent insurgency in the mineral-rich province, which has been plagued for decades by separatist violence and militant attacks on security forces and infrastructure projects linked to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
While the military statement declared the operation over, it provided few details on the timeline, specific locations, or potential casualties among security personnel. Analysts suggest the high casualty figure indicates a sustained, multi-pronged campaign targeting militant hideouts in the province's rugged terrain.
The operation's conclusion comes amid heightened regional security concerns and ongoing efforts to stabilize Balochistan, which is pivotal to Pakistan's economic ambitions but remains its poorest province. The government has long accused separatist groups of receiving foreign support to destabilize the region.
"This was a necessary, albeit tough, operation to restore state authority," said Ahmed Raza, a retired army colonel and security analyst based in Islamabad. "The numbers reported suggest they went after several networks simultaneously. The real test will be holding these areas and addressing the grievances that fuel the insurgency in the first place."
"Two hundred and sixteen lives extinguished, and for what? More military control and more silence imposed on Baloch voices," countered Mariam Baloch, a human rights activist from Quetta, her tone sharp with emotion. "We only get one side of the story—the army's. Where is the verification? Where is the list of names? This 'success' narrative feels built on sand and sorrow."
"The immediate impact is a sense of relief for many settlers and project workers," noted Kamran Khan, a local journalist covering the region. "But the history here is cyclical: operations conclude, calm returns for a period, and then tensions slowly rebuild. Without a parallel political outreach, this might just be another chapter, not the conclusion."
(Reporting by Saad Sayeed; Additional background and analysis by The Reuters Desk; Editing by YP Rajesh)