Pakistan’s military on Saturday said a wave of coordinated suicide and gun attacks across Balochistan killed 33 people, including civilians and security personnel, while forces responding to the violence killed 92 militants in what analysts described as the deadliest single day for insurgents in decades.
Coordinated attacks across the province
According to the Pakistan military, the attacks targeted civilians, police stations, a high-security prison, paramilitary installations and passenger buses. Eighteen civilians and 15 security personnel were killed, while security forces neutralised 92 assailants. Authorities said at least 133 militants have been killed across the province in the past 48 hours.
The outlawed Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attacks, which included arson, robberies, grenade strikes and attempted abductions on highways.
Emergency declared, rail services suspended
The attacks began almost simultaneously across several districts, prompting the provincial government to declare an emergency in hospitals. Rail tracks were damaged, leading Pakistan Railways to suspend train services between Balochistan and other regions.
In Mastung district, militants stormed a prison, freeing over 30 inmates, while attempted assaults on paramilitary headquarters in Nushki and attacks in Gwadar, Pasni and Quetta were repelled, officials said.
India allegation, no response yet
Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and the military alleged that the attackers were backed by India. There was no immediate response from India, which has denied similar accusations in the past.
Insurgency intensifying
Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti said security forces were continuing operations, claiming around 700 militants had been killed in the past year. Security analysts said the scale of militant casualties marked an unprecedented escalation in counter-insurgency operations.
Balochistan has long witnessed an armed separatist movement seeking independence from Pakistan’s central government, with violence intensifying in recent months amid regional instability.