Army major killed in Gwadar IED blast as four militants die in Kalat operation, ISPR says

Key takeaways

• Major Wajahat Waheed, a Lahore resident, was killed when an improvised explosive device (IED) struck his unit near Pasni in Gwadar district, the military's media wing ISPR said on Monday, October 19.
• In a separate intelligence-based operation in Jattakabad, Kalat district, security forces killed four militants and recovered weapons, ISPR said.
• Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari paid tribute to the officer and offered condolences to his family.
• The incidents come after ISPR reported eight militants killed in three Balochistan operations on October 17, and a weekend exchange of fire with Afghan Taliban forces in Kurram.

What happened

According to the ISPR statement, reported by Express Tribune, Geo News and Aaj News, security forces were carrying out clearance operations in the Shadi Kaur area of Pasni tehsil, Gwadar district, after intelligence reports of militant hideouts there and in Jattakabad, Kalat district.

During one of these operations, the lead team, led by Major Wajahat Waheed, was hit by an IED. ISPR said the officer died in the line of duty. Express Tribune and Aaj give his age as 34; Geo News gives 37.

In the Kalat operation, ISPR said troops engaged a militant position and four militants were killed after an exchange of fire. A "large cache" of arms and ammunition was recovered. The military described the militants as "Indian-sponsored" members of "Fitna al Hindustan"; this is the military's own description.

ISPR said "sanitisation" operations are continuing in the area.

Official reactions

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the officer had given his life to protect the country and that the nation was proud of him, according to a statement from his office reported by Express Tribune. He repeated the government's resolve to continue operations under the Azm-e-Istehkam counter-terrorism campaign.

President Asif Ali Zardari also paid tribute to the officer and praised the security forces.

A busy weekend for security forces

On the Kurram border clash, AP reported that Pakistani security officials, speaking anonymously, said troops backed by artillery destroyed Taliban posts after firing that they said was meant to help militants cross into Pakistan. Dawn, citing state media, reported the same account. There was no immediate comment from Afghanistan's Taliban government, according to AP. Claims of Afghan casualties come from Pakistani security sources and have not been independently confirmed.

Background

Militant violence has risen sharply in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. Geo News, citing the Islamabad-based Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), reported 225 militant attacks across Pakistan in September 2026, up from 199 in August. Islamabad says militants use Afghan territory for attacks, which Kabul denies.

Last week, Pakistan's Foreign Office said talks with Afghanistan could not be unconditional and that Islamabad wants a verifiable way to stop attacks from Afghan soil.

What to watch

• Whether ISPR reports further results from the continuing Gwadar and Kalat operations.
• Any official response from Kabul to the Kurram clashes.
• Further political debate in Islamabad and Peshawar on the security situation in the northwest and Balochistan.