Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti said on Sunday that terrorists are using children as young as 11 for acts of violence in the province.

Speaking at a press conference in Quetta, the chief minister praised the tribute to the security forces and said their timely response averted a major tragedy in Balochistan.

The chief minister said that the state has never resorted to the excessive use of force in the province, adding that security forces acted with responsibility and caution.

Bugti paid tribute to the martyrs and injured security personnel, saying intelligence reports had clearly indicated a large-scale terrorist plot in the province.

He said security forces launched operations immediately after receiving credible intelligence.

Bugti said 40 terrorists were killed in operations in the Shaaban and Panjgur areas, while a total of 145 terrorists have been eliminated over the past 40 hours.

The chief minister said that more than 1,500 terrorists have been neutralised over the past year.

Referring to a recent attack, the chief minister said that militants targeted a Baloch family in Gwadar, killing five women and three children.

He said terrorists were using the Baloch people as “fuel for their war” and deliberately targeting innocent civilians.

Bugti maintained that whenever Pakistan started making progress, India resorts to conspiracies in an attempt to weaken Pakistan.

He said the proscribed Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) is not a political entity open to dialogue, but an armed group seeking to impose its ideology through violence in the name of deprivation.

The chief minister said terrorists often blend into civilian populations, but stressed that the state is responsible and cannot harm its own citizens.

He maintained that no excessive force has ever been used in Balochistan, and that all operations have been carried out strictly within the bounds of the Constitution and the law.

Bugti said terrorists had attempted to enter the Red Zone, but their plans were foiled by timely action from security forces.

He acknowledged that the operation in Nushki took some time, but said it was ultimately completed successfully.

“We will take Balochistan towards peace. We will not bow before terrorists,” he said, adding that the fight is against India-backed proxies.

Responding to a question, the chief minister said nobody will be allowed to block roads under the guise of protests.

He also claimed that militant commander Rehman Gul is running his network from Afghanistan, adding that Afghan soil is being used for terrorist activities inside Pakistan.

Bugti said Afghan nationals were also involved in terror attacks in Pakistan.

He said terrorists have no nationality or tribe and condemned those who exploit Baloch women for violence.

The chief minister said terrorists targeted Safe City cameras, and noted that in 2018, militants were allowed to regroup, during which several check-posts in Balochistan were also dismantled.