President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif have praised Pakistan's security forces after an operation in Balochistan's Kech district in which a terrorist was killed and an attempted abduction of two women was foiled. The operation took place in the Mainiaz area of Kech and was carried out under Operation Radd-ul-Fitna 3, the country's ongoing counter-terrorism campaign.

What happened in Mainiaz

Both leaders issued statements on Thursday commending what they described as the professional capability of the forces involved. The prime minister said the timely action had ensured the safety of innocent women, while the president said the operation showed the armed forces' readiness to protect civilians in the province. The statements did not name the militant killed, and the affiliation reported — Fitna al-Hindustan, the official designation used by Pakistani authorities for India-backed militant groups — has not been independently verified.

Campaign to continue, leaders say

According to the official statements, security forces engaged a terrorist in the Mainiaz area and prevented an attempt to abduct two women. The operation is part of a wider campaign in Balochistan, a province that borders Afghanistan and Iran and has seen sustained militant violence targeting security forces, police and civilians. Both leaders said counter-terrorism operations would continue until terrorism is completely eliminated from the country, and no further details of the Kech operation, including any injuries or arrests, were given in the official statements.

Sources: Associated Press of Pakistan via Tez Khabar, Pakistan TV.