QUETTA, 20 September, 2026 (Kamran Raja): Security forces have foiled an attempt by terrorists to disrupt public movement on the N-25 highway near Kalat, killing five militants and safely rescuing 23 hostages, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said. According to the military’s media wing, the terrorists had established a checkpoint on the highway to abduct people, extort money and seize vehicles. Security forces responded promptly and killed five terrorists during the operation, while a large quantity of weapons, ammunition and explosives was recovered from the militants’ hideout. Six trucks, three buses and two cars were also recovered from the site, according to ISPR. The operation was conducted amid intensified security actions against militants across Balochistan under Operation Radd-ul-Fitna 3. Separately, security sources said 11 India-backed terrorists were killed in operations in Panjgur and Chagai districts, with five militants killed in Gowargo and six others eliminated in Ameenabad and Siah Chang areas. Weapons and ammunition were also recovered from the militants. In a separate incident, 10 labourers were injured when terrorists targeted a passenger vehicle with an improvised explosive device on College Road in Kharan. Security forces reached the site and shifted the injured to hospital. The latest operations follow a series of counter-terrorism actions in Balochistan, including an operation on September 4 in which ISPR said 48 terrorists were killed across the province over 72 hours. Balochistan has remained a major hotspot of militant violence, with security forces conducting repeated intelligence-based operations across the province. According to a Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) report, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan remained the country’s main hotspots for violence during the second quarter of 2026, together accounting for nearly 96 percent of violence-related fatalities recorded during the period.