Islamabad, July 9, 2026 – The Europe Today: A Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) and 10 soldiers of the Pakistan Army were martyred after an army convoy came under attack in the Bela-Winder area along the N-25 Highway in Balochistan, Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, said on Wednesday.
Addressing a media briefing on the security situation in Balochistan, Lt Gen Chaudhry said the convoy attack was one of three major terrorist incidents reported over the past four days. He added that security forces had also carried out operations in Kharan and Dalbandin, during which six and eight terrorists were killed, respectively, as part of ongoing counterterrorism efforts.
The DG ISPR said the first incident occurred on the night of July 4–5, when militants identified by the state as Fitna-ul-Khawarij attacked civilians in the Hanna Urak area. According to him, local residents resisted the assault, forcing the attackers to retreat. Four civilians were martyred and six others sustained injuries in the attack.
He said the second major incident involved what he described as a multi-directional assault by Fitna-ul-Khawarij militants on a police checkpoint near Pumping Station No. 3 of Mangi Dam in Ziarat district. The checkpoint was established to safeguard the water supply infrastructure serving Quetta.
Paying tribute to the police personnel, Lt Gen Chaudhry said they defended the post despite the intense attack, killing 15 militants during the engagement. Nine police officers embraced martyrdom in the initial clash.
He stated that army reinforcements were dispatched immediately, while police personnel continued to engage the attackers until additional security forces reached the area. Subsequent operations in the surrounding Ziarat mountains, which have continued since July 6, resulted in the elimination of additional militants.
According to the DG ISPR, 18 more police personnel were later martyred during the ongoing operations, bringing the total number of police martyrs in the Mangi Dam incidents to 27.
He further said security forces confirmed the deaths of another 11 militants during follow-up engagements, increasing the total number of terrorists killed in the Mangi Dam operations to 26. He added that the actual number of militant casualties was believed to be higher.
Lt Gen Chaudhry said security forces deliberately avoided the use of aerial assets during the operation due to concerns over collateral damage while police personnel remained engaged with the attackers.
Commenting on the broader security situation, the DG ISPR alleged that hostile elements, including India, were supporting terrorist activities inside Pakistan. He also claimed that militant groups were using territory under the control of the Afghan Taliban as operational bases and stated that several militants involved in recent attacks were Afghan nationals.
Referring to a recent attack on a Rangers camp in Karachi, he said three of the four attackers were Afghans and alleged that the planning, logistics, and operational support for the attack originated from Afghanistan.
Lt Gen Chaudhry said Pakistan’s armed forces, under the leadership of Asim Munir and in accordance with the government’s policy guidance, remained fully committed to eliminating terrorism and dismantling militant networks and their facilitators.
He reaffirmed the military’s resolve to continue operations against terrorists and those providing them support, shelter, or logistical assistance, emphasizing that security forces would pursue all threats to Pakistan’s peace, stability, and national security.
