At least six terrorists were killed in Balochistan’s Zhob district while attempting to infiltrate from the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Thursday.

Security forces intercepted the militants on the night of January 22-23 in the district’s Sambaza area, the military’s media wing said in a statement.

“Own troops effectively engaged and thwarted their [terrorists] attempt to infiltrate. Resultantly, six khwarij [terrorists] were sent to hell,” it added.

The ISPR further said that a large quantity of weapons, ammunition and explosives was also recovered.

“Pakistan has consistently been asking the interim Afghan government led by Taliban rulers to ensure effective border management on their side of the border,” the ISPR said.

The military also urged the Taliban government to fulfil its obligations and deny the use of Afghan soil “by Khwarij for perpetuating acts of terrorism against Pakistan”.

“Security Forces of Pakistan remain committed to secure its borders and eliminate the menace of terrorism from the country.”

Pakistan has witnessed a surge in violent attacks since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021, particularly in the bordering provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

The year 2024 turned out to be the deadliest for Pakistan’s civil and military security forces in a decade with at least 685 fatalities and 444 terror attacks, according to “CRSS Annual Security Report 2024” issued by Centre for Security and Strategic Studies.

Equally alarming were the cumulative losses of civilians and security personnel, i.e., 1,612 fatalities, accounting for over 63% of the total recorded this year, marking 73% more losses compared to 934 outlaws eliminated, The News reported citing CRSS report.

The overall fatalities recorded the previous year were a record 9-year high and over 66% more than in 2023. On average, nearly seven people lost their lives daily, with November emerging as the deadliest month across all metrics, compared to all other months of the year.

The violence took the heaviest toll on KP which topped in human losses with 1,616 fatalities, followed by Balochistan with 782 fatalities. In 2024, the country suffered 2,546 violence-linked fatalities and 2,267 injuries among civilians, security personnel and outlaws.

This tally of casualties stemmed from 1,166 incidents of terror attacks and counter-terror operations, marking a grim year for the country’s security landscape.