Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir on Saturday visited Quetta Garrison, where he reaffirmed that the peace, prosperity and well-being of the people of Balochistan remained paramount for the state.

The visit came amid a recent surge in terrorist activity in the province, including attacks in Pishin and Chagai and major counter-terrorism operations in Mastung, Kalat and Sibi over the past week.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), CDF Munir was received by the Quetta Corps Commander upon his arrival and given a comprehensive briefing on the prevailing security environment, operational preparedness and ongoing measures aimed at maintaining peace and stability across Balochistan.

“The field marshal reaffirmed that the peace, prosperity and well-being of the people of Balochistan remained central to the efforts of the state,” the ISPR said.

“He emphasised that a stable and secure environment would continue to facilitate development initiatives, economic opportunities and improved prospects for the people of the province.”

The meeting also covered matters relating to institutional coordination and socio-economic development in the province.

CDF Munir appreciated the troops’ high standards of professionalism, operational readiness and commitment.

“He underscored the importance of continued coordination among law enforcement agencies and other state institutions to consolidate peace and maintain an environment conducive to sustained economic activity and development,” the statement added.

The field marshal also paid tribute to the sacrifices of the martyrs and lauded the troops’ steadfast dedication to the discharge of their duties.

Terrorism in Balochistan

A day prior, the ISPR said 48 terrorists were killed by security forces in multiple “high-tempo” anti-terror operations across Balochistan over 72 hours.

According to the military’s media wing, the operations were carried out in Mastung, Quetta, Kalat and Sibi districts against “Indian proxies, Fitna-al-Hindustan and Fitna-al-Khawarij”.

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.

On the same day, the Balochistan government issued a statement on the Bhag attack, saying that two policemen were among five people injured as law enforcers foiled a “coordinated” terrorist attack on a police station, bank and the assistant commissioner’s office.

Shahid Rind, the chief minister’s aide for political and media affairs, said in a post on X that about 40 terrorists attacked the three places using “heavy weapons, rocket launchers, machine guns, sniper rifles and hand grenades”.

Rind said the terrorists failed to take control of the Bhag police station or seize weapons from the facility.

Meanwhile, on the night of Aug 31-Sept 1, TTP terrorists launched a coordinated attack on the Customs House, located at Ziarat Cross on the N-50 National Highway, in Pishin district.

While security forces responded effectively and killed 10 terrorists, two officers were among six martyred in the exchange of fire, ISPR said.

Last month, the security situation remained most severe in Balochistan, where the number of terrorist attacks increased by seven per cent from 83 in July to 89 in August, according to a monthly assessment by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS).