A key militant leader killed in Balochistan’s Qila Saifullah district was identified by security sources on Sunday as Adil Shah, alias Darvesh, after an intelligence-based operation (IBO)—a raid guided by prior intelligence. Sources said he had been affiliated with the Fitna al-Khawarij terrorist group since December 2020.
What security sources said about Adil Shah
According to those sources, Shah had overseen the outfit’s financial affairs since 2024. They also said he helped arrange accommodation for non-local militants in Zhob, Sherani and Shaban districts.
Security sources linked him to attacks on security forces and kidnapping for ransom during 2022 and 2023. They said 19 cases had been registered against him in anti-terrorism courts (ATCs)—special courts that hear terrorism-related cases—and that a bounty of Rs2.5 million had been announced for information leading to his capture.
The Balochistan operation and wider context
The Balochistan operation in Qila Saifullah was described as part of security forces’ actions under Operation Radd-ul-Fitna 3. That is the name security sources gave for the broader campaign of which this raid formed a part.
Pakistan has seen a sharp rise in cross-border terrorist incidents, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in 2021, according to the same reporting of the security picture. Pakistan recorded its highest monthly number of militant attacks in 12 years during September 2026. Islamabad has repeatedly urged Kabul to stop its territory being used for attacks inside Pakistan, and maintains that the Afghan Taliban regime has not taken effective action against groups blamed for strikes on Pakistani security forces and civilians. Despite several rounds of talks, the two sides have not settled their differences, with militant groups operating from Afghan soil still a central dispute.
Timeline: what has happened so far
- December 2020: Adil Shah became affiliated with Fitna al-Khawarij, security sources said.
- 2021: The Afghan Taliban returned to power; Pakistan later reported a sharp rise in cross-border terrorist incidents, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
- 2022–2023: Sources said Shah was involved in attacks on security forces and kidnapping for ransom.
- 2024: He began overseeing the group’s financial affairs, according to security sources.
- September 2026: Pakistan recorded its highest monthly number of militant attacks in 12 years.
- Sunday: Security forces killed him in an IBO in Qila Saifullah under Operation Radd-ul-Fitna 3, sources said.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Balochistan ke Qila Saifullah mein security forces ne aik bade militant commander Adil Shah ko operation mein maar diya. Woh Fitna al-Khawarij se linked tha aur finance sambhalta tha, sources ke mutabiq. Us par attacks aur ransom ke ilzamat the, aur Rs2.5 million ka bounty bhi tha. Aise operations ka matlab yeh hai ke security forces un logon ko target kar rahi hain jo forces aur awam ke khilaf hamle karte hain.
