https://arab.news/4ph9z
- Army says three militants killed in intelligence-based operation in Awaran district
- Accuses India of sponsoring terrorism inside Pakistan, vows to continue operations
ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani army officer was killed during a clash with militants in the southwestern province of Balochistan on Tuesday, the military said, saying the assailants were Indian proxies operating inside Pakistan.
The fighting took place in Awaran district during an intelligence-based operation targeting suspected members of “Fitna al Hindustan,” a term the Pakistani military uses for militants it says are backed by India. The region, part of Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province, has long experienced separatist and insurgent violence, and Islamabad has frequently alleged Indian involvement in destabilizing activities there, a charge New Delhi has repeatedly denied.
According to the Pakistani military’s media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), troops engaged the suspected militants at their hideout and killed three.
“During the conduct of operation, own troops effectively engaged the terrorist location and resultantly, three Indian sponsored terrorists were sent to hell,” ISPR said in a statement.
The military said Major Syed Rabnawaz Tariq, 34, was killed in the firefight while leading the operation. He was a resident of Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
“Major Syed Rabnawaz Tariq … a brave officer who was leading his troops from the front, fought gallantly and paid the ultimate sacrifice,” the statement said.
A sanitization operation was underway following the clash to clear the area of any remaining militants, the military said, adding that such actions were part of Pakistan’s broader effort to eliminate what it described as “Indian Sponsored Terrorism” within its borders.
“The security forces of Pakistan are determined to wipe out the menace of Indian Sponsored Terrorism from the country, and such sacrifices of our brave men further strengthen our resolve,” the statement added.
The incident follows a series of recent accusations and military tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors, including most recently when they exchanged in a four-day long air war in May. They have in the past fought multiple wars and regularly trade blame over unrest in disputed Kashmir and border regions.