At least 216 militants were killed as Pakistan’s security forces concluded a large-scale counterterrorism operation in the country’s southwestern province of Balochistan, the military said on Thursday.

A statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations, the media wing of the Pakistani army, said 22 personnel from security forces and law enforcement agencies were also killed.

It said that 36 civilians were killed in the attacks carried out by the militants.

The operation began on January 29, after credible and verified intelligence indicated the presence of militants posing an imminent threat to the local population, the ISPR said.

It said that security forces initially repelled a series of attacks by the outlawed Balochistan Liberation Army.

This was followed by an expanded intelligence-based campaign across multiple areas aimed at dismantling militant sleeper cells through sustained combing and sanitisation efforts.

“During the operation, security forces recovered a substantial cache of foreign-origin weapons, ammunition, explosives and other equipment,” the ISPR added. 

(Xinhua/NAN)