ISLAMABAD, Feb 5, (Xinhua): At least 216 terrorists were killed as Pakistan's security forces have concluded an anti-terrorist operation in the country's southwestern province of Balochistan, the military said on Thursday.

A total of 22 personnel of the security forces and law enforcement agencies and 36 civilians were also killed in the attacks launched by the terrorists, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistani army, said in a statement.

The operation began on Jan. 29, following credible and verified intelligence indicating the presence of terrorists posing an imminent threat to the local population. Subsequently, security forces repelled a series of attacks by the outlawed Balochistan Liberation Army, the ISPR said.

This was followed by an expanded campaign of intelligence-based operations across multiple areas to dismantle terrorist sleeper cells through sustained combing and sanitization efforts, said the statement. A substantial cache of foreign-origin weapons, ammunition, explosives and other equipment was also recovered during the operations, according to the statement.