Quetta: In a major breakthrough on the counter-terrorism front, the Balochistan government announced the arrest of two senior Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) commanders, Nasrullah alias ‘Maulvi Mansoor’ and Idris alias ‘Irshad’. .
“Terrorists Nasrullah […] and Idris have been arrested after a tough operation,” said Balochistan Interior Minister Mir Zia Ullah Langau at a press conference in Quetta.
The arrest came a day after the Federal Cabinet approved Operation Azm-e-Istehkam, an enhanced national counter-terrorism operation decided by the Central Apex Committee on National Action Plan.
“India is behind terrorist attacks in this country and provides financial support to militants,” Langove said, pointing to external elements of terrorist attacks in Pakistan.
Noting that a group of youths are misguided and endangering their country, the minister urged such people not to heed the words of the enemy.
According to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the federal government’s new initiative will include Intelligence Operations (IBO) instead of new armed operations and will aim to eliminate remnants of militancy, crime and terrorism.
The government’s move comes in response to an increase in terrorist attacks in recent months, with at least 432 violent executions and 245 terrorist attacks in the country in the first quarter of 2024, according to the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS). and 370 civilians, security personnel and illegal operatives were injured as a result of counter-terrorism operations.
The statistics are only for the first four months of 2024 and include 281 civilian casualties and security forces.
Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa faced 92% of deaths and 86% of attacks, including terrorist and security attacks, in these two provinces.
