Five security personnel, including two officers, and a Customs official were martyred during a “coordinated attack in an attempt to breach the Customs House” on the night of August 31-September 1 in Balochistan, the military’s media wing said.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that on the night of Aug 31-Sept 1, during multiple incidents in Nokcha, Chagai District, and Ziarat Cross, Pishin District, twenty-one terrorists belonging to Indian-sponsored proxies of Fitna al-Hindustan and Fitna al-Khawarij were sent to hell due to effective responses by the Security Forces.

The state uses the term Fitna-al-Khawarij for the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and has designated Balochistan-based groups as Fitna-al-Hindustan to highlight India’s alleged role in terrorism and destabilisation across Pakistan.

“During the night of Aug 31-Sep 1, terrorists belonging to Fitna al- Khawarij launched a coordinated attack in an attempt to breach the Customs House.

“Security forces responded effectively and, after an intense fire exchange, killed 10 terrorists,” ISPR added.

Moreover, fleeing terrorists were also engaged by the security forces, inflicting further casualties, the ISPR said.

“During the exchange of fire, six brave sons of the soil, including two officers and a government official from the Customs Department, made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty and embraced shahadat,” it said.

The attack on the Customs House was a “manifestation of the terror-crime nexus, orchestrated to prevent Customs officials from performing their lawful duties and thereby facilitate the continuation of criminal activities in the area”, the ISPR stated.

It added that the sanitisation operations were continuing in the surrounding areas to eliminate any remaining terrorists and ensure the safety and security of the local population as well as the vital national highways.

Separately, on 31 August, terrorists belonging to Fitna al-Hindustan attempted to disrupt the peaceful movement of commuters along N-40 Quetta–Taftan Highway by establishing an illegal checkpoint for extortion, ISPR said.

“Security forces responded immediately and, after an intense fire exchange, 11 terrorists were killed on the spot.

“A large quantity of weapons, ammunition and explosives was also recovered from the terrorists,” it added.

“The relentless counter-terrorism campaign under the vision of ‘Azm-i-Istehkam,’ as approved by the Federal Apex Committee on the National Action Plan, will continue with full resolve. Security forces and law enforcement agencies remain committed to eliminating the menace of foreign-sponsored and foreign-supported terrorism from the country,” the ISPR concluded.

On Monday, the security forces killed 12 terrorists following an attack on a convoy of vehicles from the Reko Diq copper and gold project, in the Chagai area.

On the same day, it was reported that two terrorists had also been killed during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Washuk district.