ISLAMABAD: Veteran journalist and founder of The Khorasan Diary, Iftikhar Firdos, has claimed that a coordinated campaign is underway in Balochistan where ideologically diverse groups have come together, with certain Baloch factions allegedly providing shelter to elements of the Islamic State – Pakistan Province (ISPP) and ISKP.
Firdos, a widely recognized authority on militancy in the region, made the assertion amid an intensifying security crackdown across the province. His remarks come as security forces have ramped up intelligence-based operations in Balochistan, particularly in the Mastung district, targeting militant networks accused of destabilizing the region.
The ISPP, a Pakistani branch of the Islamic State that split from the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) in 2019, has been increasingly active in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The group has claimed responsibility for multiple attacks in the province, including sectarian-motivated killings and the assassination of political figures.
The allegations surface as security forces continue a major counterterrorism offensive in Mastung district, which has emerged as a key flashpoint in Balochistan’s security landscape.
Over the past 48 hours, security forces have killed 10 terrorists and apprehended two female suicide bombers along with their facilitator during operations in Balochistan’s Surab and Mastung districts, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). In Mastung specifically, three terrorists were killed while the two female suicide bombers and their facilitator were apprehended.
Meanwhile in a major intelligence-based operation in the Khad Kocha area of Mastung, security forces killed six suspected militants linked by authorities to “Fitna al-Hindustan”. Multiple suspects were taken into custody, including alleged facilitators as well as male and female suicide bombers. Security forces destroyed several militant hideouts and recovered a significant cache of weapons, ammunition, and explosive materials.
