• Officials say 50 families moved to safety during clearance operation in Makin
• Two FC men martyred in IED attack during sweep of Kech ahead of Qatari royals’ visit
• PM commends security forces, vows to eradicate terrorism

PESHAWAR / SOUTH WAZIRISTAN / QUETTA: Thir­teen terrorists were killed in an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in South Waziristan, while two Frontier Corps personnel were martyred in an improvised explosive device (IED) attack in Balochistan’s Kech district, on Wednesday.

The IBO was conducted in the Sararogha area of South Waziristan, the military’s media wing said. The operation, launched after reports of militants’ presence, saw security forces effectively engage their location. The terrorists had been actively involved in attacks on security forces and the killing of innocent civilians, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.

A sanitisation operation was ongoing to eliminate any remaining militant elements in the area. The ISPR reaffirmed the military’s determination to wipe out militancy from the country.

The operation came three days after an attack on a security checkpoint in the Makin area of South Waziristan on the night of Dec 20–21, which left 16 security personnel martyred.

The military reported that during the Makin incident, security forces thwarted an attempted militant assault. In the ensuing exchange of fire, eight militants were killed. However, the intense firefight claimed the lives of 16 security personnel.

In the aftermath of that attack, two villages of the Mehsud tribe, Dashka and Aba Khel, were evacuated to ensure the safety of civilians during a security clearance operation. Local officials said that around 50 families were temporarily relocated.

While authorities stressed that the evacuation was necessary to protect civilians from potential harm, residents expressed concerns about the operation’s impact on their properties and livelihoods.

Saeed Anwar, a leader of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam Pakistan, expressed reservations about the operation, stating that previous campaigns in the region had caused extensive damage to homes, mosques, madressahs and schools without yielding desired results.

The district administration and Provincial Disaster Manage­ment Authority (PDMA) have yet to establish temporary camps for displaced families, leaving residents anxious about the lack of immediate assistance and support.

Makin has witnessed similar operations in the past, including a major one in 2009 that led to the displacement of thousands of people. The process of returning those displaced people to the area was only completed in 2018.

PM commends security forces

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday paid tribute to the security forces for their successful operation in which 13 militants were killed in South Waziristan.

“Nefarious designs of enemies of the humanity will not be allowed to succeed,” he said and expressed that the entire nation was proud of the brave soldiers of the security forces who continued to safeguard the country.

“We will continue to fight against Fitna Al Khawarij and terrorism till their complete eradication from Pakistan,” the premier added.

Two FC men martyred in Kech

In Balochistan, two FC personnel were martyred and four others injured in an IED blast in the Dashat area of Kech district on Wednesday. The security team was escorting members of the Qatari royal family as an advance party to clear the route for their houbara bustard hunting expedition.

This was the second attack targeting FC personnel in Kech district within a week. Last week, an ambush in the Kolowa area injured one FC soldier as the team guarded a convoy of Qatari hunters en route to Turbat.

In Wednesday’s attack, the IED detonated when the advance team reached Dashat to ensure the route was secure for the Qatari visitors, officials said.

“Two soldiers lost their lives, and four others were injured when an IED, detonated remotely, struck their convoy,” a senior security official told Dawn by phone. He added that the Qatari dignitaries were unharmed, and their security was subsequently reinforced with additional troops.

Security forces and local administration officials rushed to the area soon after receiving information about the incident and shifted the bodies and injured to Turbat district hospital.

The two FC personnel who were martyred in the blast were identified as Lance Naik Zaman and Lance Naik Umar Zahoor, while the injured included Naik Naeem, Sepoy Javed, Sepoy Amin and Sepoy Waheed.

A search operation has been launched in the area to locate those responsible for the attack. The banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attack.

Behram Baloch in Gwadar also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, December 26th, 2024