At least 10 members of Pakistan’s security forces and at least 58 militants were killed after ethnic Baloch separatists carried out coordinated attacks at 12 locations across Balochistan on Saturday, officials said. The violence marks another escalation in the long-running insurgency in the country’s southwestern province.
Pakistan has been battling a separatist conflict in Balochistan for decades. Militants frequently target security forces, foreign nationals and non-local workers in the mineral-rich region bordering Afghanistan and Iran.
More than 12 locations targeted
“The terrorists … launched coordinated attacks this morning at more than 12 locations,” a senior security official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
“Thirty-seven terrorists have been eliminated… Ten security personnel were martyred while a few others were injured,” the official added.
Another senior official based in Quetta said at least four policemen were killed in the provincial capital, though it was not immediately clear whether they were included in the overall death toll.
Military says attacks failed
A senior military official in Islamabad confirmed the attack, describing them as “coordinated but poorly executed”.
The attacks “failed due to poor planning and rapid collapse under effective security response,” the official said.
{{/usCountry}}The attacks “failed due to poor planning and rapid collapse under effective security response,” the official said.
{{/usCountry}}Separatists also abducted the deputy commissioner of Nushki district, according to a senior official in Quetta.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif commended the security forces for “foiling coordinated attacks” at 12 locations.
“I, along with the entire nation, am proud of our martyrs,” Sharif said in a statement, while accusing India of backing the separatists.
“We will continue the war against terrorism until its complete eradication from the country,” he added.
Situation remains tense
At least four police officials from different districts told AFP that the situation was still not fully under control. Mobile phone services were jammed and traffic was disrupted in affected areas, while train services were suspended across the province.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), the most active separatist group in Balochistan, claimed responsibility for the attacks in a statement sent to AFP.
The group said it targeted military sites as well as police and civil administration officials through gun attacks and suicide bombings. It also claimed that major highways were blocked to hinder security operations.
Fear on the streets
In Quetta, an AFP journalist reported hearing multiple explosions as heavy security was deployed. Major roads were deserted and business activity came to a halt.
“Since morning, there have been explosions one after another,” said Abdul Wali, a 38-year-old private employee, who was trying to arrange blood for his hospitalised mother.
“The police point guns at us and say go back otherwise they beat us. What should we do?” he added.
The attacks came a day after the military said it had killed 41 insurgents in two separate operations in the province.
Despite its vast natural resources, Balochistan remains Pakistan’s poorest province and trails other regions in education, employment and development. In recent years, Baloch separatists have stepped up attacks on workers from other provinces and on foreign energy projects, which they accuse of exploiting local resources.
Pakistan has repeatedly blamed India and Afghanistan for fuelling militancy. “Throughout the operation, the terrorists were reportedly in continuous contact with their handlers in Afghanistan,” a security official said.
Last year, ethnic Baloch separatists attacked a passenger train carrying 450 people, triggering a two-day siege that left dozens dead.
(With inputs from AFP)