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A farmer was reportedly killed in a drone strike during the ongoing operation, according to sources
The operation is reportedly targeting suspected militants, while local sources allege that civilians have also been affected by the military action.
Pakistan’s security forces have reportedly intensified a major military operation in Balochistan’s Kharan district, with ground troops and air assets deployed in the Lijje area, according to sources.
Sources claim that military drones and helicopters have continued flights over Kharan as the operation expands, while ground forces are also conducting operations in the area.
A farmer was reportedly killed in a drone strike during the ongoing operation, according to sources. Additional civilian casualties have also been reported, although the claims could not be independently verified.
The operation is reportedly targeting suspected militantswhile local sources allege that civilians have also been affected by the military action.
Pakistan’s military has reportedly expanded ground and aerial operations to several areas of Balochistan, including Kharan, Khuzdar, Zehri, Kalat, Moola and Ziarat.
With military activity continuing, concerns over further civilian casualties are growing. Independent sources have claimed that the number of casualties could rise as the operation intensifies.
The reported developments and casualty figures remain subject to independent verification.
UNREST IN BALOCHISTAN
The unrest in Balochistan has escalated drastically in August 2026, marked by high-casualty guerrilla warfare, retaliatory state airstrikes, and severe infrastructure damage that has plunged the region into a deep security crisis.
The outlawed Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has intensified its campaign, claiming responsibility for 38 operations in a single week. The group reported killing 32 Pakistani army soldiers in counter-strikes early in the month.
A major 18-inch gas pipeline was blown up, disrupting the gas supply to Quetta and five other major districts. This has exacerbated local public frustration in a province already angry over resource distribution.
The BLA enforced a total “Black Day” boycott across the province, prompting authorities to put security forces on high alert amid widespread communications and internet blackouts.
While armed outfits like the BLA operate in the mountains, a massive parallel shift has occurred within Baloch civil society. Led predominantly by young, middle-class citizens and Baloch women, massive peaceful sit-ins and rights movements (like those organized by the Baloch Yakjehti Committee) have blocked major highways. They demand accountability for missing persons, an end to military highhandedness, and basic human rights.
The government’s use of force to disperse these peaceful protests—resulting in further detentions and open firing—has only hardened public defiance and widened the divide.
Key Questions Answered
Ask News18The Baloch National Movement (BNM) has called on the European Union and other international organisations to investigate incidents of civilian casualties and urged the EU to suspend Pakistan’s Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) status and related trade benefits.
Ask News18About the Author
Group Editor, Investigations and Security Affairs, Network18
August 16, 2026, 12:17 IST
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