Pakistani security forces freed 23 hostages and killed five militants in an operation near Kalat in Balochistan, the military said, according to reporting by the Associated Press on September 20.
The military said armed men had established an illegal checkpoint near the N-25 highway, stopping vehicles and attempting to abduct civilians, extort money and seize vehicles. The statement said six trucks, three buses and two cars were recovered after the operation.
AP reported that five militants were killed and 23 hostages were freed. No casualties among security personnel or the rescued hostages were reported in the military account. Margalla News is attributing those operational figures to Pakistan's military rather than presenting every detail as independently observed.
Pakistani authorities used an official label for the militants and linked them to separatist groups operating in Balochistan. Islamabad has also alleged Indian support for some Baloch armed groups. India has previously denied Pakistani allegations that it sponsors militancy. That allegation remains an attributed government claim.
Dawn separately reported the ISPR account of the operation near the N-25, including the deaths of five militants and the recovery of 23 abductees. The separate reporting provides additional corroboration for the basic event, although the full operational sequence has not been independently verified on the ground by Margalla News.
Balochistan has faced a long-running separatist insurgency alongside repeated security operations. Attacks on highways and passenger vehicles have raised persistent concerns about civilian safety, commercial transport and freedom of movement across the province.
The N-25 is an important road link through Balochistan. Temporary checkpoints established by armed groups can disrupt passenger traffic and freight while exposing travellers to abduction and violence.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised the security forces after the operation, while federal and provincial officials reiterated their position that operations against militant groups would continue. Those are official political statements; the core report here concerns the reported rescue and security operation.
Complete public details about how long all of the hostages had been held and the identities of every person involved were not available at publication time. Margalla News is therefore avoiding speculation on those points.
The report will be updated if authorities or reliable independent sources provide additional information about the rescued people, the identities of those killed or the precise timeline of the incident.