The operation was conducted in KP’s South Waziristan district, which borders Afghanistan, on intelligence reports about the presence of “Indian-sponsored” militants, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing.
The intense exchange of fire killed 11 militants and injured seven others. The shootout also left two Pakistani soldiers, Major Moiz Abbas Shah and Lance Naik Jibran Ullah, dead.
“Sanitization operation is being conducted to eliminate any other Indian-sponsored kharji [militant] found in the area,” the ISPR said in a statement.
Islamabad accuses India of backing a separatist insurgency in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province as well as religiously motivated militant groups, like the Pakistani Taliban, in KP. India denies the allegations.
Pakistan has struggled to contain a surge in militancy in KP since a fragile truce between the Pakistani Taliban, or the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and Islamabad broke down in late 2022. The TTP and other militant groups have frequently targeted security forces convoys and check-posts, besides targeted killings and kidnappings of law enforcers and government officials in the region in recent months.
In a statement, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif paid tribute to Major Shah and Lance Naik Jibran Ullah for thwarting the evil designs of the enemy.
“We will continue the fight against the scourge of terrorism until it is completely eradicated from the country,” he said. “The entire nation, including me, stands by our Pakistani forces in their unwavering resolve to protect the homeland.”
The Punjab Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) has arrested six Pakistani nationals allegedly working as facilitators for India’s intelligence agency, RAW, in a meticulously planned operation named 'Operation Yalghar', officials said on Wednesday.
Addressing a press conference in Lahore, Punjab Additional IG Shahzada Sultan revealed that the CTD successfully thwarted a terror plot aimed at destabilizing key areas of southern Punjab, particularly Bahawalpur and Bahawalnagar.
“We have arrested one RAW facilitator from Bahawalpur and two Indian spies from Bahawalnagar,” said Shahzada Sultan. “This operation is a significant achievement against the growing threats of foreign-sponsored terrorism in Pakistan.”
According to initial investigations, the facilitators were preparing to carry out attacks on mosques and railway stations in Bahawalpur. Shahzada Sultan disclosed that audio recordings of two Indian intelligence officers were recovered during the operation.
The Indian officers identified in the investigation were Major Ravindra and Inspector Singh, both linked to the Indian intelligence agency. Sultan claimed that Major Ravindra personally delivered improvised explosive devices (IEDs) to the facilitators near the Pakistan border.
“The mosque was to be specifically targeted with IEDs,” said a CTD official.
The funding for the planned attacks came through cryptocurrency channels and branchless banking platforms, pointing to a sophisticated network of financial support. The additional IG (operations) further confirmed this, stating that multiple digital avenues were used to funnel money into Pakistan for subversive purposes.
CTD Punjab officials also mentioned that recent terrorist attacks in Mianwali and Dera Ghazi Khan were being financed from Afghanistan. According to CTD official Waqar Azeem Kharal, RAW is funding Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan elements to carry out attacks in DG Khan and Mianwali.
No connection has yet been found between the Punjab-based network and the RAW network dismantled in Karachi earlier on Wednesday, Shahzada Sultan clarified.
He emphasized that all individuals arrested in Operation Yalghar are Pakistani citizens.
The Punjab police confirmed that the state would take this matter to international forums to expose India’s direct involvement in terrorism on Pakistani soil. “As a responsible state, Pakistan will raise this issue at the international level,” Shahzada Sultan asserted.
Meanwhile, Karachi SSP Shoaib Memon said the security agencies and the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) have arrested four operatives linked to India’s intelligence agency, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), in a major operation in the city.
The arrested suspects were reportedly working for the Indian intelligence network and were in direct contact with Indian Army Colonel Ranjit, SSP Memon said in a press briefing on Wednesday.
The authorities recovered explosives, a vehicle, and weapons from the suspects. The SSP claimed that the individuals were providing sensitive photographs and geotagged locations of military installations to their handlers across the border.
“All four suspects are residents of Sujawal district and have crossed the Indian border more than 20 times,” he revealed.
Cases under anti-state and espionage charges have been registered against the suspects. SSP Memon confirmed that further investigations are underway to trace their network and additional accomplices.
