What happened
Pakistan’s security forces killed 23 more militants in Balochistan, taking the number neutralised in Operation Shaban and related intelligence-based operations to 102 since 5 July, according to an update from the military’s media wing reported on 12 July.
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement: “A large-scale air and ground offensive against Fitna al-Khawarij terrorists by Pakistan Army, FC Balochistan and Police, codenamed Operation Shaban, continued with full vigour.” It said seven more “foreign terrorists” had been killed in fresh operations, and that a total of 102 had been killed in Operation Shaban and other intelligence-based operations in the province since 5 July.
“Operation Shaban will continue in Balochistan until the elimination of the last terrorist,” the ISPR said.
State-run Radio Pakistan also reported that security forces killed two militants linked to Fitna al-Hindustan in an intelligence-based operation near the N-25 crossing. Fitna al-Khawarij is the term Pakistan’s state institutions use for the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, while Fitna al-Hindustan is used for separatist militant groups operating in Balochistan. Weapons, hand grenades, a motorcycle, mobile phones and flags of a banned outfit were recovered from the two slain militants, according to security sources.
How the operation began
Operation Shaban is a joint counterterrorism campaign by the Pakistan Army, Frontier Corps Balochistan and Balochistan Police. Security sources said it was launched in Quetta district’s Shaban area on 5 July in response to an attack on a police post at the Mangi Dam pumping station.
During that attack, militants killed nine police personnel, including two station house officers, and abducted 18 other policemen at gunpoint. The abducted personnel were later killed and their bodies recovered from the Zarghoon Gar mountainous area, bringing the police death toll in the attack to 27. According to the military’s spokesperson, at least 42 people — four civilians, 27 policemen and 11 security personnel — were killed in the terrorist attacks and subsequent security operations in Balochistan since 5 July.
State-run Pakistan Television reported that nine militants had been killed in the latest action, taking the total under Operation Shaban to 52 and the overall tally since 5 July, including intelligence-based operations, to 88. State-run Radio Pakistan had reported that 79 militants had been killed in Balochistan since 5 July.
Compensation and political response
Balochistan Chief Minister’s Adviser on Information and Political Affairs Shahid Rind said that, on the directions of Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti, orders had been issued to provide Rs11.1 million in compensation to the families of those martyred in the Mangi Dam attack. He said administrative and financial formalities had been completed on a fast-track basis on the chief minister’s instructions, and that the provincial government would bear the educational expenses of the martyrs’ children.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi paid tribute to the Pakistan Army, Frontier Corps Balochistan and police for the operation, saying the forces had foiled the enemy’s designs. “The sacrifices and successes of the forces for the sake of peace in Balochistan are a golden chapter in history,” he was quoted as saying.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said, while chairing a meeting of the Provincial Apex Committee on the National Action Plan in Quetta, that the country’s civil and military leadership had taken a “mutual and singular decision” to eliminate terrorism. The meeting was attended by Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir.
Why it matters
Operation Shaban is among the largest counter-insurgency efforts Pakistan’s security forces have mounted in Balochistan in recent months, and the rising toll reflects both the scale of the July attacks and the intensity of the state’s response. The campaign has no fixed end date, and officials say it will continue until militant networks in the province are dismantled. The attacks since 5 July have also renewed scrutiny of security around Balochistan’s infrastructure and of the provincial government’s support for the families of the police personnel killed.
Sources & reporting notes
This is a summary of published reporting, not independent reporting. Details are as carried by the cited source, which was reviewed on 2026-07-12.
- Pakistan Today — "'Operation Shaban' toll rises to 102 as 23 more terrorists neutralized in Balochistan"12 July 2026 · The ISPR update, the toll figures, the Mangi Dam attack, the compensation order and the political statements.
