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ISLAMABAD: Pakistani security forces killed four militants in an intelligence-based operation in the country’s restive southwestern Balochistan province on Friday, the military said, accusing them of having Indian backing.

Balochistan, which borders Afghanistan and Iran, is strategically important due to its mineral wealth and its role as a transit hub for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). However, the province has long been gripped by a separatist insurgency, with groups such as the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) ramping up attacks in recent years.

Islamabad calls these outfits proxies of Indian intelligence, branding them “Fitna-e-Hindustan,” India’s mischief, though the charge is denied by New Delhi.

“On 12 Sep 2025, security forces conducted an intelligence based operation in Mastung District of Balochistan, on reported presence of terrorists belonging to Indian proxy, Fitna al Hindustan,” the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said in a statement.

“During the conduct of operation, own forces effectively engaged the terrorists’ location, and after an intense fire exchange, four Indian sponsored terrorists were sent to hell,” it continued.

The statement said weapons, ammunition and explosives were recovered from the militants, who “remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities in the area.”

It added that a “sanitization operation” was continuing to eliminate any other militants in the district, reaffirming what it called the nation’s resolve to “wipe out the menace of Indian sponsored terrorism” and bring those responsible to justice.

Balochistan has seen a string of high-profile militant attacks this year. In March, the BLA hijacked a passenger train, and in May, a suicide bombing in Khuzdar killed several children after targeting their school bus.

Security forces, civilians and non-local workers are frequently targeted in coordinated attacks across the province. Despite the violence, the government has refrained from launching a full-scale military response, preferring intelligence-based operations instead.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has been taken off the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) watchlist and is no longer under monitoring for possible sanctions, state media said on Friday.

The country was placed on the list last year for “outstanding non-conformities” with WADA’s updated anti-doping code and was warned to meet key requirements by January 2025 or risk its athletes being banned from competition.

WADA said the compliance procedure against Pakistan’s anti-doping agency was closed after all corrective actions were completed, according to the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP).

“This is not just a bureaucratic victory,” the news agency quoted Director General Pakistan Sports Board Yasir Pirzada as saying in its report. “It is a lifeline for Pakistani athletes and sports federations.”

APP said Pakistan enforced measures ranging from policy alignment to procedural reforms to meet global standards.

WADA promotes, coordinates and monitors the fight against doping in sports. It works with governments, sports bodies and labs worldwide to ensure fair play and athlete health.

Doping in sports refers to the use of banned substances or methods to enhance performance and giving athletes an unfair advantage.

It undermines fair competition, poses serious health risks and damages the integrity of sport. Anti-doping agencies worldwide conduct testing and enforcement to ensure a level playing field.

Pakistan competes internationally in cricket, hockey, football, squash, wrestling, boxing, athletics, weightlifting and shooting apart from sending athletes to the Olympics, Paralympics and regional events like the South Asian Games.