Five Pakistani soldiers, including a major, were killed during a joint Army and Frontier Corps operation in the Nosham area of Barkhan district (a remote region in Balochistan, Pakistan's largest and most restive province) after engaging a militant group the military designates as Fitna al Hindustan. The military's media wing, ISPR, said seven militants were killed and weapons, ammunition and explosives were recovered. The operation is part of Pakistan's ongoing Azm-i-Istehkam counter-terrorism campaign, which authorities say targets foreign-sponsored militant networks amid a broader resurgence in violence since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in 2021.