Quetta: Pakistan Army Major Wajahat Waheed was martyred in an improvised explosive device attack during an operation in Gwadar, while four terrorists were killed in a separate operation in Kalat, the military’s media wing said on Monday.

The Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said security forces were conducting operations following reports of terrorist hideouts in Jattakabad, Kalat, and the Shadi Kaur area of Pasni, Gwadar.

Four terrorists were killed during an intelligence based operation in Jattakabad on October 18. A large cache of arms and ammunition was recovered, according to the statement.

In Gwadar, Major Wajahat Waheed, 34, a resident of Lahore, was leading troops during one of a series of clearance operations when he was martyred in an explosive device attack.

ISPR said clearance operations would continue to eliminate other terrorists in the area. It added that the counterterrorism campaign under Azm e Istehkam, approved by the Federal Apex Committee on the National Action Plan, would continue.

The operations come amid sustained security challenges in Balochistan.

In another statement reported a day earlier, ISPR said eight terrorists it described as sponsored by India had been killed in operations in Quetta, Nushki and Khuzdar.

Security forces also killed five terrorists during an operation in Washuk on the night of October 12 and 13, according to the military.

Separately, provincial officials recently announced the arrests of six suspects allegedly affiliated with the Fitna al Khawarij (FaK), formerly known as the Tehreek i Taliban Pakistan (TTP), two women allegedly being prepared for suicide attacks and two commanders of another banned organisation.

Figures compiled by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) showed that terrorist attacks in Balochistan increased from 83 in July to 89 in August, a rise of approximately seven percent.