Pakistani security forces killed five militants in an intense shootout and freed 23 hostages in the country’s restive southwest, the military said Sunday (September 20, 2026). It was unclear exactly when the abduction took place.
No casualties among security forces or abductees were reported. Security forces recovered six trucks, three buses and two cars, along with weapons, ammunition and explosives. Insurgents often kidnap people for ransom after establishing illegal checkpoints. Balochistan has been the scene of a long-running insurgency in southwestern Pakistan with an array of separatist groups, including the BLA, demanding independence from Pakistan’s central government in Islamabad. The groups have staged attacks mainly targeting security forces and people from Punjab who travel to Balochistan for business or employment. violence in the province has persisted Although Pakistani authorities say they have quelled the insurgency.
The militants had established an illegal checkpoint near Kalat in Balochistan province overnight into Saturday (September 19, 2026), stopping vehicles to abduct more people for ransom, extort money and seize vehicles, according to a military statement. Last month, they killed 18 police officers after abducting them.
The statement described the killed militants as members of “Fitna al-Hindustan,” a term the Pakistani government uses for the outlawed separatist Baloch Liberation Army and other groups operating in Balochistan demanding independence and that it alleges are supported by India. The military said troops were searching the surrounding area for any remaining militants. The latest operation came just over a week after Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti ruled out negotiations with insurgents and said security operations would continue until militancy was eliminated from the province. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised the security forces for the operation, said counterterrorism operations would continue, and vowed to eliminate what he called foreign-sponsored terrorism.
New Delhi has previously denied accusations that it sponsors militancy in Pakistan.
