Pakistan says militant commander killed in Qila Saifullah — Dawn

Pakistan’s security forces said they had killed a militant commander during an intelligence-based operation in Qila Saifullah district in Balochistan province. According to Dawn, which cited state-run Radio Pakistan and security sources, the deceased was identified as Adil Shah, also known by the alias Darwesh.

State broadcaster’s data

Radio Pakistan reported that Shah belonged to “Fitna al-Khawarij,” a term Pakistani authorities use to refer to militants of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan group.

According to the broadcaster’s sources, Adil Shah had been associated with the group since December 2020 and had been responsible for its financial affairs since 2024. The operation, Radio Pakistan reported, took place as part of the “Radd-ul-Fitna-3” campaign, under which security forces conduct operations against militants in Balochistan.

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Allegations against Shah

According to security sources, Shah helped establish permanent residences for “foreign militants” in Zhob, Sherani and Shabani in Balochistan. He was also accused of attacks on security personnel and kidnappings for ransom since 2022.

The state broadcaster reported that 19 first information reports (FIRs) had been registered against Shah and that a reward of 2.5 million Pakistani rupees had been announced. According to the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, 225 attacks were recorded in the country in September, 13.1% more than in August. The largest number of attacks, 131, occurred in Balochistan.