QUETTA: Pakistani security forces have recovered the bodies of four serving and retired security personnel who were abducted and later killed by militants in Balochistan, underscoring what authorities describe as the growing brutality of terrorist groups operating in the province.
The bodies were recovered from the mountainous Shaban area near Quetta during Operation Shaban, an ongoing military offensive launched after coordinated terrorist attacks killed 32 people, including 27 police personnel, in Quetta and Ziarat last week.
A senior government official identified the victims as Airport Security Force (ASF) Inspector Zubair Ahmed, former Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) constable Khalil ur Rehman, retired Pakistan Army soldier Muhammad Sadeeq, and Sepoy Fareed Ahmed.
According to officials, the four men were abducted in separate incidents during June and July before being murdered. Authorities said the killings reflected the tactics employed by militant groups seeking to spread fear through targeted attacks on security personnel.
ASF Inspector Zubair Ahmed had traveled from Islamabad to Quetta to spend time with his family when he was abducted on June 21, according to his relatives.
No militant group has claimed responsibility for the kidnappings or killings. However, the internationally designated terrorist group, the banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), involved in carrying out attacks targeting security forces, civilians and critical infrastructure in the province to undermine the development of the province. The BLA, also known as Fitna al Hindustan, has claimed responsibility for numerous high-profile attacks in Balochistan in the past.
Operation Shaban began on July 5 following a surge in terrorist violence across Balochistan. According to the military, security forces have killed 126 militants associated with Fitna al Hindustan and Fitna al Khawarij, a term referred to TTP, during the operation and continue intelligence-based operations aimed at dismantling militant networks.
