Over 150 dead, internet cut: Inside violence in Pak's Balochistan, deadliest in recent years

The attacks, among the deadliest in recent years in the restive province, prompted Islamabad to vow retaliation.

Pakistan security forces launched an extensive hunt on Sunday for militants behind a wave of coordinated attacks across Balochistan, a day after violence killed at least 31 civilians, 17 security personnel and 145 militants, Reuters reported citing official figures.

Police officers inspect the site after militant attacks in Quetta, Pakistan, February 1, 2026 (REUTERS)

The attacks, among the deadliest in recent years in the restive province, prompted Islamabad to vow retaliation.

Authorities imposed sweeping security restrictions across the province as investigations continued and rescue operations entered their second day.

Attack in Balochistan: Top 10 points

1. Around a dozen locations targeted in Saturday’s attacks — including the provincial capital Quetta — remained sealed off on Sunday, with troops combing affected areas after militants stormed banks, jails and military installations, officials said, reported AFP news agency. An official told the news agency that a deputy district commissioner was abducted during the violence.
2. Mobile internet services across Balochistan have been suspended for more than 24 hours, while road traffic remains disrupted and train services have been halted as part of heightened security measures.
3. After being rocked by explosions, usually bustling Quetta lay largely deserted on Sunday, with major roads empty, businesses shut and residents staying indoors amid fears of renewed violence.
4. Shattered metal fragments and mangled vehicles were seen strewn across several roads in the city, reflecting the intensity of the blasts and gun battles that erupted a day earlier.
5. “Anyone who leaves home has no certainty of returning safe and sound. There is constant fear over whether they will come back unharmed,” Hamdullah, a 39-year-old shopkeeper who goes by one name, told AFP in Quetta.
6. The Pakistan military said it was conducting “sanitisation operations” in areas hit by the attacks and pledged action against those responsible. "The instigators, perpetrators, facilitators and abettors of these heinous and cowardly act... will be brought to justice," it said in a statement late Saturday.
7. The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), the province’s most active separatist militant group, claimed responsibility in a statement sent to AFP, saying it targeted military installations as well as police and civil administration officials through gun attacks and suicide bombings.
8. Saturday’s violence came a day after the military said it killed 41 insurgents in two separate operations in Balochistan, a province that has witnessed a decades-long separatist insurgency and repeated attacks on security forces, non-local Pakistanis and foreign interests.
9. India on Sunday categorically rejected Pakistan military’s claims of Indian involvement in the Balochistan violence. "We categorically reject the baseless allegations made by Pakistan, which are nothing but its usual tactics to deflect attention from its own internal failings," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
10. “Instead of parroting frivolous claims each time there is a violent incident, it would do better to focus on addressing long-standing demands of its people in the region. Its record of suppression, brutality and violation of human rights is well known,” New Delhi spokesperson added.

(With AFP, Reuters inputs)