QUETTA: Five militants were killed in a joint security operation in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province, an official said on Tuesday, amid a surge in militancy in the region.

Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest but least developed province that borders Iran and Afghanistan, has been the site of a long-running separatist insurgency that has intensified in recent years.

The latest operation was conducted by police and paramilitary Frontier Corps based on reports about militant presence in Karakh area of Balochistan’s Khuzdar district, according to a provincial government spokesman.

“The killing of five terrorists during an intelligence-based operation is a testament to the professional capabilities of the security forces,” Balochistan government spokesman Shahid Rind said in a statement.

“Continued, coordinated measures and effective operations are essential until terrorism is completely eradicated [from the region].”

The development comes amid a spike in attacks in Balochistan, along with kidnappings of civilians and government officials.

Pakistan’s military said last week that an army major and four separatist militants were killed in multiple operations in the province.

On Oct. 18, unidentified gunmen attacked a marble mining site in Khuzdar and kidnapped at least 18 local laborers, a senior police official said on Sunday. The attack came two days after the kidnapping of 20 police constables in the province.

No group claimed responsibility for the attacks and kidnappings in the region, where separatist militants have frequently targeted foreign nationals, infrastructure projects, security forces, police and non-native Pakistanis in recent years.

Islamabad has frequently accused India of backing militant groups and Afghanistan of allowing the use of its soil for attacks in Pakistan’s western regions that border Afghanistan. New Delhi and Kabul deny this.