Pakistani security forces have killed 33 fighters who tried to cross into the southwestern province of Balochistan from neighbouring Afghanistan, the military says, describing them as “Indian-sponsored” separatists.
Pakistan’s military said in a statement on Friday that an overnight operation took place in the Zhob district of Balochistan province, where soldiers spotted “Khwarij”, a phrase the government uses for Pakistan Taliban fighters.
The fighters were intercepted and engaged with “precise” fire, the statement said, adding that weapons, ammunition and explosives were recovered.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised the security forces for what he called a successful operation.
“Our brave soldiers risked their lives to foil this infiltration attempt and crushed the nefarious designs of the terrorists,” the prime minister was quoted by the Associated Press of Pakistan as saying.
Separatist fighters demanding mineral-rich Balochistan receive a bigger share of profits from its resources have stepped up attacks in recent months, particularly on Pakistan’s military, which has launched an intelligence-based offensive against them.
Pakistan often accuses the Taliban government in Afghanistan of turning a blind eye to fighters operating near their shared frontier. Kabul denies the charge.
The Pakistani military said on Friday that those killed had the backing of India although it offered no evidence to back up the allegation.
Pakistan and India often accuse each other of backing armed groups. New Delhi denies supporting fighters in Pakistan and has not commented on the latest incident.
The nuclear-armed neighbours with a history of conflict continue to engage in war rhetoric and have exchanged fire across the Line of Control, their de facto border in disputed Kashmir, after an attack in Pahalgam killed 26 civilians in India-administered Kashmir on April 22.
Clashes with Pakistani Taliban
On Friday, the government in Balochistan suspended mobile phone internet service until August 31 for security reasons before Thursday’s Independence Day holiday, which celebrates Pakistan gaining independence from British colonial rule in 1947.
In recent years, separatist fighters in Balochistan have targeted people selling national flags before the holiday.
Balochistan has for years been the scene of a rebellion by separatist groups along with attacks by the Pakistan Taliban and the outlawed Balochistan Liberation Army.
The separatists demand independence from Pakistan’s central government in Islamabad.
Pakistan has witnessed a surge in armed attacks, most claimed by the Pakistan Taliban, who are known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and are allies of the Afghan Taliban.
The TTP is a separate group and has been emboldened since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021. Many TTP leaders and fighters have found sanctuary in Afghanistan since then.
Pakistan’s security forces are also operating in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where soldiers in April killed 54 Pakistan Taliban in what authorities described as the deadliest single-day clash with fighters this year.
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