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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s security forces killed more than 14 militants allegedly linked to India and destroyed several hideouts during an operation in the restive southwestern province of Balochistan, state media reported on Saturday.

The operation was carried out in the Zehri area of Khuzdar district, where security forces foiled an attempt by militants to intimidate local residents, according to the country’s official news channel.

Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest but poorest province, has long been plagued by an insurgency that has intensified in recent months, with separatist militants increasingly targeting security personnel, government officials, infrastructure and non-local residents.

“More than 14 terrorists linked to the so-called ‘Fitna-e-Hindustan’ were killed and over 20 injured in the Khuzdar operation,” Pakistan Television (PTV) said in a post on Instagram.

“Security forces remain fully prepared to eliminate these India-backed terrorists to ensure public safety,” it added.

In recent months, Islamabad has repeatedly accused India of backing militant groups to foment insurgencies in Pakistan, an allegation New Delhi denies.

Balochistan is strategically significant for its vast mineral wealth and as a transit hub for the multibillion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Yet, the province has long been gripped by separatist violence, with groups such as the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) intensifying attacks in recent years.

These groups demand independence for the province, accusing the central government of exploiting the province’s natural resources, a charge Islamabad denies.

Balochistan has also witnessed a string of high-profile attacks since the beginning of the 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 by separatist groups in the region, though authorities have mainly relied on intelligence-based operations rather than launching a full-scale military campaign. 

KARACHI: A cyclonic storm over the Arabian Sea has intensified into a severe system located about 390 kilometers south-southwest of Karachi, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said on Saturday, while also forecasting more rain in eastern Punjab from Oct. 5 to 7 as the province continues to grapple with flood damage.

At least 1,037 people have died in Pakistan due to heavy rains, floods and landslides during the annual monsoon season between Jun. 26 and Oct. 1, according to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).

More than 3.6 million people were affected across 3,363 villages, with nearly 1.3 million moved to safer areas and hundreds of relief camps established in inundated districts of Punjab, the country’s agricultural heartland.

The floods largely spared southern Sindh, unlike three years ago when Pakistan lost over 1,700 lives and the province was the worst hit. However, winds and thunderstorms accompanied by light to moderate rain triggered by Cyclone SHAKHTI are expected to affect

Karachi, Badin, Thatta, Sujawal, Jamshoro, Hub, Lasbela, Awaran and Kech districts in Sindh and Balochistan.

“Sea conditions are likely to remain rough to very rough with squally winds of 40-50 gusting 55 km/hour near the Sindh coast,” the PMD said in a statement. “Fishermen are advised not to venture into deep sea till Oct. 5.”

The cyclone is expected to move west-southwest, reaching the northwestern and adjoining central parts of the Arabian Sea by Oct. 5, before changing direction and weakening over the next 24 hours.

The PMD said winds could blow at 90 to 100 kilometers per hour, strengthening to around 110 km/h, with gusts as high as 125 km/h in the following 36 hours.

It said winds would weaken later, but the sea would remain rough to very high over the north-central Arabian Sea.

RAIN IN PUNJAB

Meanwhile, Punjab Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Director General Irfan Ali Kathia said rains are expected to return to the province on Oct. 5 and continue in the northern regions of Pakistan until Oct. 7.

He said the intensity of rainfall may increase on Oct. 6-7, with 50 to 70 millimeters expected in several districts of Punjab, adding that heavy rains could raise river flows to between 100,000 and 150,000 cusecs.

Punjab has been reeling from weeks of flooding that inundated farmland, destroyed crops, displaced thousands and disrupted transport and irrigation networks, leaving many rural communities struggling to recover.

Pakistan remains among the countries most vulnerable to climate change, with scientists warning that rising temperatures are making South Asian monsoon rains heavier and more erratic.

Seasonal downpours provide up to 80 percent of the country’s annual rainfall but frequently cause widespread destruction.

The catastrophic 2022 floods submerged one-third of Pakistan, displaced 30 million people and caused economic losses exceeding $35 billion.