Pakistani forces kill 8 militants in Balochistan, raid hideouts as abductions rise

Pakistani security forces on Sunday reportedly killed eight militants in three intelligence-led operations across districts of Balochistan province, amid rising cases of abduction in the troubled region.The operations took place on Saturday in the Quetta, Nushki and Khuzdar districts, following intelligence that the militants were hiding in those areas, according to the Inter Service Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistan Army.In the Panjpai area of Quetta district, terrorists trying to set up a roadblock to disrupt local traffic were "intercepted by security forces, resulting in [the] killing of five terrorists", the ISPR said in a statement.In Nushki district, security forces stormed a hideout, and two terrorists were killed in an intense exchange of fire, the army said. Around 500 kilograms of explosives were also recovered from the terrorists during that operation. In Khuzdar district, one terrorist was killed, the ISPR added.Balochistan, which borders Afghanistan, has seen a surge in abductions and attacks on civilians and security forces in recent years, prompting the government to step up its anti-militant operations.On Saturday, unidentified armed men hijacked a bus carrying 20 trainee police officers near Mastung, on the Quetta-Karachi highway, and took them away. Their whereabouts remain unknown.On Sunday, at least 18 workers were abducted, and another was injured when unidentified armed men attacked a marble mining site in the province. The incident happened early in the morning in the remote Naal area of Khuzdar district, police said. The attackers arrived on motorcycles and other vehicles and stormed the site.According to PTI, no insurgent group or individual has claimed responsibility for the attack.The police and the provincial government have yet to confirm the incident officially, but two police officers, speaking on condition of anonymity, said 18 workers had been taken away by the attackers. PTI reported."They came on bikes and vehicles and opened fire and then rounded up the workers present at the site and abducted 18 of them before fleeing," a police officer said.Most of those abducted came from nearby villages and areas, he added, and another worker was injured in the attack.You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.