Security forces kill militant commander in Qila Saifullah operation

Security forces killed a militant commander in an intelligence-based operation in Balochistan's Qila Saifullah district, security sources said on Sunday, describing him as a figure who handled the group's money and logistics.

The sources identified the commander as Adil Shah, alias Darvesh, and said he had been associated with the banned outfit they call Fitna al-Khawarij since December 2020. He had overseen its financial affairs since 2024 and also helped arrange accommodation for militants from outside the region in Zhob, Sherani and Shaban districts, they said.

According to the same sources, Shah was involved in attacks on security forces and in kidnapping for ransom during 2022 and 2023. Nineteen cases had been registered against him in anti-terrorism courts and a bounty of Rs2.5 million had been announced for information leading to his capture.

The operation was conducted under Operation Radd-ul-Fitna 3, the sources said. Geo News and Business Recorder carried the same account of the operation and the commander's background. The Nation also reported that a militant commander had been killed in the operation. Balochistan Pulse, in its headline, called him a TTP commander; Pakistani security officials use "Fitna al-Khawarij" for the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan.

There was no immediate statement from the military's Inter-Services Public Relations, and no independent confirmation of the man's identity or of the details provided by the sources. The reports did not mention any casualties among security personnel.

Qila Saifullah lies in Balochistan's north-east, near Zhob and Sherani, the two other districts the sources named.

Pakistan has recorded a sharp rise in cross-border militant attacks, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in 2021. September 2026 saw the highest monthly number of militant attacks in 12 years, according to the reports.

Islamabad has repeatedly urged Kabul to prevent its territory from being used by militant organisations to carry out attacks inside Pakistan, and maintains that the Afghan Taliban administration has failed to act effectively against the groups responsible. Despite several rounds of talks, the two sides have not resolved their differences, and the presence of militant groups on Afghan soil remains a central point of contention.