Karachi, May 18, 2026 — Pakistani security forces say they have killed 35 suspected militants and detained three senior commanders during an intelligence-led operation in Balochistan’s Mangla Zarghoon Ghar area. The provincial government’s spokesperson, Shahid Rind, briefed reporters in Quetta, saying the operation began on May 13 and produced results over four days.
Rind said the offensive targeted the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and affiliated proxy groups. He added that the three arrested individuals are high-profile commanders and that the action was guided by intelligence obtained from previously captured militants in the province. Several militant base camps in the Mangla Zarghoon Ghar region were reportedly dismantled during the raids.
Authorities indicated follow-up operations are underway across Balochistan, driven by actionable intelligence aimed at tracking down facilitators, handlers and financial backers who support these networks. As of publication, the Pakistan military had not issued its own statement on the operation.
The announcement comes days after a separate operation in Barkhan district last Wednesday, when a clean-up mission resulted in the deaths of five soldiers, including an army major, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). The ISPR also reported that at least seven militants were killed in that engagement.
Provincial officials say they will continue coordinated counterterrorism efforts to disrupt militant infrastructure and arrest those involved in planning and financing attacks.
