What happened
Security forces killed 12 militants after a series of coordinated attacks on a police station and two banks in Kharan City, District Kharan, Balochistan, the military’s media wing said.
According to a news release issued by Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) and carried by the Associated Press of Pakistan, approximately 15 to 20 “Indian-sponsored terrorists of Fitna Al-Hindustan” carried out multiple attacks in Kharan City on 15 January 2026, targeting the City Police Station, the National Bank of Pakistan and Habib Bank Limited. During the attacks, Rs 3.4 million was looted from the banks, the statement said.
Security forces responded and engaged the attackers, prompting them to retreat, ISPR said. In the ensuing clearance operation, 12 militants were killed in three separate engagements. The statement said a militant plan to take hostages at the police station was also effectively thwarted.
A sanitisation operation continued in the surrounding area, and ISPR said the counter-terrorism campaign under “Azm-e-Istehkam”, approved by the Federal Apex Committee on the National Action Plan, would continue at full pace against what it called foreign-sponsored terrorism.
Why it matters
The attack involved simultaneous strikes on police and banking targets in a single district town, underlining the continuing security challenge in Balochistan. The reported looting of Rs 3.4 million from two banks points to a financing motive alongside the assault on the police installation, according to the ISPR account.
The reference to “Azm-e-Istehkam” places the operation within the federal counter-terrorism framework agreed under the National Action Plan, which the government has described as a nationwide campaign against militancy.
What is still uncertain
The sponsorship claim and the casualty figures come from ISPR and have not been independently confirmed. The statement did not name the dead militants, provide their affiliation beyond the “Fitna Al-Hindustan” label, or say whether police officers, bank staff or civilians were killed or injured. It also did not specify how much of the looted money was recovered.
Sources & reporting notes
This article summarises an ISPR news release as carried by the Associated Press of Pakistan on 16 January 2026. It is not eyewitness reporting. Claims of militant sponsorship and casualty figures are attributed to the source.
- APP — Security forces foil terrorist attacks, kill 12 Indian-sponsored militants16 January 2026 · ISPR statement on the 15 January 2026 Kharan attacks and clearance operation.
