The operation was launched following the attack on the Mangi Dam police station and is being conducted jointly by the Pakistan Army, Frontier Corps (FC) and Balochistan Police.
Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry had said on Wednesday that India-backed militants attacked the Mangi Dam checkpoint, where police personnel fought bravely and killed 15 attackers during the initial engagement.
He said nine police personnel were martyred in the initial exchange of fire, while the attackers took several officers hostage before security forces reached the area.
According to the military spokesperson, security forces gradually tightened the cordon around the militants because hostages were being held. He said the forces remained engaged with the militants in the mountains of Ziarat from July 6.
"When the terrorists realised the cordon had tightened, these cowards martyred 18 police personnel," Lt Gen Chaudhry had said.
He added that a total of 27 police personnel embraced martyrdom in the Mangi checkpoint attack, while 26 militants were killed during the operation.
Security sources said on Friday that another attack on a police station in Khuzdar was also repelled. Pakistan Army and FC troops launched a follow-up operation in which eight militants were reportedly killed.
They added that since July 5, security forces have killed a total of 75 militants during Operation Shaban and other intelligence-based operations across the province.
Separately, security sources said helicopter operations also resulted in the killing of five to six militants.
PM blames eastern neighbour
The latest operations come after three recent terrorist attacks in Balochistan claimed the lives of 42 people, including security personnel and civilians.
Addressing the Provincial Apex Committee meeting on the National Action Plan in Quetta, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed the government s resolve to eliminate India-backed terrorism in Balochistan.
"We have to thwart the nefarious designs of Fitna al-Khawarij," the prime minister said, adding that the entire nation stood shoulder to shoulder with the armed forces.
"This war against terrorism will continue until the last terrorist in Pakistan is eliminated," he added.
Referring to India, PM Shehbaz alleged that Pakistan s "eastern neighbour" was behind the attacks and claimed Afghan territory was being used to launch terrorist activities against Pakistan.
He said Pakistan s adversaries were unable to accept the country s recent diplomatic achievements and reiterated that all available resources would be utilised to eradicate terrorism and ensure lasting peace and development.
Earlier, Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir also vowed that terrorism originating from across Pakistan s borders would be crushed with the full strength of the state.
Addressing a ceremony at the National Defence University, he said the armed forces remained fully aware of attempts by hostile intelligence agencies to destabilise Pakistan through proxy groups and would not allow such efforts to undermine the country s security or economic progress.
