Pakistan Kills Over 120 Militants in Operation Shaban Offensive

The Government of Pakistan launched a high-intensity air and ground offensive titled Operation Shaban in Balochistan province following a wave of militant attacks beginning July 5, 2026. The crackdown was triggered by a coordinated assault on a police post at the Mangi Dam in the Ziarat district, where nine officers were initially killed and 18 others were abducted; those abducted were later found executed. Additional violence included an ambush on an army convoy in Bela and attacks on the outskirts of Quetta, resulting in a total of 42 deaths among security forces and civilians.

In response, the Pakistan Army, Frontier Corps, and Balochistan Police conducted joint operations that neutralized between 121 and 123 militants by July 14. Of these, 83 were killed specifically within Operation Shaban, while the remainder fell during other intelligence-based operations. Security forces recovered large caches of weapons, including M4 rifles and rocket launchers, during the sweep of rugged mountainous terrain.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and military leadership, including Field Marshal Asim Munir, convened a Provincial Apex Committee in Quetta to coordinate the eradication of terrorism. The government attributed the violence to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (referred to by the state as Fitna al-Khawarij) and the Balochistan Liberation Army. Pakistani officials, including Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and military spokesperson Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry, alleged that the militants are backed by India and utilize sanctuaries in Afghan territory, claims both India and Afghanistan have denied.