Gwadar: 10 militants including a woman killed as attacks foiled, ISPR says
Pakistan's military says security forces stopped attacks near the Gabd border crossing and in Gwadar city, killing 10 militants; one civilian was killed and no soldiers were lost.
At a glance
- Security forces killed 10 militants, including one woman, after attacks near the Gabd border crossing and in Gwadar city on Thursday, October 22, 2026, the ISPR said on Friday.
- One civilian was killed and several vehicles were damaged; the military reported no losses among security personnel.
- The ISPR blamed 'Fitna al-Hindustan', the term the state uses for Balochistan-based separatist groups it says are backed by India.
- A day earlier, three militants were killed while attacking an unoccupied construction company camp in Gwadar.
- President Asif Ali Zardari praised the forces; the military said the Azm-e-Istehkam campaign will continue 'at full pace'.
Pakistani security forces killed 10 militants, including a woman, after foiling attacks near the Gabd border crossing and in Gwadar city in south-western Balochistan, the military's media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said on Friday, October 23, 2026. One civilian was killed and several vehicles were damaged, while no security personnel were lost, according to the statement.
What the military said
The ISPR said militants it described as "Indian-sponsored terrorists of Fitna al-Hindustan" tried to carry out attacks on Thursday, October 22, in the general areas of the Gabd crossing on the Iranian border and in Gwadar city. Security forces then launched clearance operations in and around the city.
| Detail | According to the ISPR |
|---|---|
| Date of attacks | Thursday, October 22, 2026 |
| Locations | Gabd border crossing area and Gwadar city |
| Militants killed | 10, including one woman |
| Civilians killed | 1 |
| Security forces killed | None reported |
| Damage | Several vehicles |
| Operation status | Concluded; "order and writ of the state" restored |
The statement said the attackers wanted to harm residents and block development in Balochistan. It described the alleged coercion of a Baloch woman into the attack as "a crime not only against the state" but against the honour of Baloch women, and accused militant groups of using women for propaganda.
These figures come from the military; independent access to the area is limited, and no group's claim had been verified by Friday evening.
Background
Gwadar, home to a deep-sea port at the heart of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), has been a repeated target of Baloch separatist groups. In March 2024, security forces killed eight attackers who stormed the Gwadar Port Authority complex, and the Pearl Continental hotel was attacked in 2019.
The latest operation follows a busy week in the province:
| Date (2026) | Incident |
|---|---|
| October 17 | 20 trainee police from the Kalat training centre abducted by gunmen on the Quetta-Karachi highway near Mastung |
| October 19 | Army major killed by an IED; four militants killed in operations in Kalat and Gwadar |
| October 21–22 | Three militants killed attacking an unoccupied construction company camp in Gwadar |
| October 22 | Attacks at Gabd and Gwadar city foiled; 10 militants and one civilian killed |
Violence has risen sharply across Pakistan in recent years. Conflict monitor ACLED counted 2,425 attacks in Pakistan in 2025, up from 658 in 2022.
Reactions
President Asif Ali Zardari praised the security forces for stopping the attack, expressed grief over the civilian's death and condemned what he called the exploitation of Baloch women for political purposes. Field Marshal Asim Munir, the chief of defence forces, said this week that operations against militant groups would continue and vowed to "hit them hard."
India has consistently rejected Pakistan's accusations that it sponsors militancy in Balochistan.
Why it matters
Gwadar's security is central to Pakistan's plans for the port, the new international airport and Chinese-funded projects. Each attack raises costs and worries for investors and for the thousands of local workers and fishermen who depend on the coast. The Gabd crossing is also an important trade and fuel route with Iran, so instability there affects border communities directly.
What happens next
The ISPR said the Azm-e-Istehkam counter-terrorism campaign, approved by the Federal Apex Committee on the National Action Plan, will continue "at full pace". Search operations for the 20 abducted police trainees are still under way, and further operations in Gwadar and Kech districts are expected.
Questions people are asking
What happened in Gwadar on October 22, 2026?
Militants tried to carry out attacks near the Gabd border crossing with Iran and in Gwadar city. The military says clearance operations killed 10 attackers, including a woman, while one civilian died.
What is Fitna al-Hindustan?
Fitna al-Hindustan is the name Pakistan's government and military use for Baloch separatist militant groups that they accuse of being sponsored by India. India denies backing militancy in Pakistan.
Where is the Gabd border crossing?
Gabd is a crossing point on Pakistan's border with Iran in Gwadar district, south-west Balochistan, near the coastal town of Jiwani, west of Gwadar city.
