QUETTA: The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) has claimed to have killed a total of 19 individuals during recent operations in Balochistan and Karachi. However, human rights organizations and local observers have described the incidents as alleged staged encounters and have called for transparent investigations.
According to the CTD, an operation was conducted in the Barkhan area of Balochistan based on intelligence reports, during which six armed individuals were killed in an exchange of fire. Officials stated that all security personnel remained unharmed.
In a separate operation in the Darakhshan area of Quetta, authorities claimed that eight individuals were killed. A CTD spokesperson said three security personnel were injured during the exchange of fire. Officials added that weapons and ammunition were recovered from the deceased and that they were believed to be affiliated with a banned organization, though investigations are ongoing.
A day earlier, three more individuals were reportedly killed in an alleged encounter in Karachi. Local sources identified the deceased as individuals who were previously in custody, raising further questions about the nature of the incident.
Human rights organizations state that in the past, several CTD operations have also been labeled as suspicious, with allegations that previously disappeared individuals were killed in staged encounters. State institutions in Balochistan have long faced criticism over enforced disappearances and alleged extrajudicial killings.
