What happened
Pakistan’s security forces concluded Operation Radd-ul-Fitna-1 in Balochistan, killing 216 militants during coordinated, intelligence-based operations across multiple districts, the Inter-Services Public Relations said in a statement on 5 February 2026, as reported by The Nation.
According to the ISPR, the operation was launched on 29 January in Panjgur and the outskirts of Harnai district after intelligence reports indicated the presence of militants posing an imminent threat to civilians. In the initial phase, security forces targeted identified hideouts and killed 41 suspected militants described by the ISPR as affiliated with “Indian proxy networks”.
How the operation unfolded
The statement said subsequent engagements and clearance operations were expanded to other areas, with troops conducting sustained combing and sanitisation efforts to dismantle militant sleeper cells. It said the campaign followed meticulous planning, actionable intelligence and joint execution by the security forces and law enforcement agencies with the support of intelligence agencies.
The ISPR said a total of 216 militants had been killed, significantly degrading their leadership and operational capabilities, and that security personnel had recovered a cache of foreign-origin weapons, ammunition, explosives and other equipment during the operations.
The human cost
The military’s media wing said 36 civilians, including women and children, had lost their lives during the violence, while 22 personnel of the security forces and law enforcement agencies were killed in the line of duty. It paid tribute to the victims and to the security personnel, saying their sacrifices reflected the highest traditions of service and commitment.
Why it matters
The announcement closes the week-long campaign that followed a wave of coordinated attacks in Balochistan. The ISPR said the armed forces remained determined to eliminate militancy under the framework of the National Action Plan and would continue counterterrorism operations until the threat was fully neutralised, describing the operation as underscoring the resolve of the state and the people of Balochistan to promote peace, stability and development.
What is still uncertain
The ISPR statement provided aggregate casualty figures and named the launch districts, but did not give a district-by-district breakdown, the identities of the militants killed or details of the captured weapons. Independent verification of the casualty figures was not available from the source reviewed.
Sources & reporting notes
This is a summary of a published report, not eyewitness coverage. The source was reviewed on 5 February 2026.
- The Nation — "Security forces kill 216 militants in Balochistan under Operation Radd-ul-Fitna-1: ISPR"Published 5 February 2026 · Primary source, quoting the ISPR statement on the operation's launch in Panjgur and Harnai, the 216 militants killed, the 36 civilians and 22 security personnel killed, and the recovered weapons.
