A wave of coordinated suicide bombings and gun attacks across Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province killed at least 33 people on Saturday, while security forces killed 92 militants in retaliatory operations, the military said.
Among the dead were 18 civilians and 15 members of the security forces. Officials described the violence as one of the deadliest single days for militants in the province in decades. Authorities said a total of 133 militants have been killed in Balochistan over the past 48 hours.
The attacks targeted civilians as well as police stations, a high-security prison and paramilitary installations in several districts. The outlawed Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility, releasing propaganda videos that showed female fighters taking part in the assaults.
Provincial Health Minister Bakht Muhammad Kakar said the attacks began almost simultaneously, prompting authorities to declare an emergency at hospitals. In Quetta, two police officers were killed when a grenade hit a police vehicle. In Mastung district, militants stormed a prison and freed more than 30 inmates, police said.
Security forces repelled attempts to overrun paramilitary headquarters in Nushki district and thwarted attacks on posts in several other areas. In coastal districts including Pasni and Gwadar, militants tried to abduct bus passengers on highways, but police said those attempts failed. Rail services from Balochistan to other parts of the country were suspended after insurgents damaged tracks.
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Pakistan’s military and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi alleged the attackers were backed by India, a claim New Delhi has repeatedly denied. Pakistan also accused militants of using Afghan territory to launch attacks, which Kabul has rejected.
Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti said security forces are pursuing remaining militants and claimed hundreds have been killed over the past year.
Analysts said the scale of militant casualties in a single day was unprecedented. Balochistan has long faced a separatist insurgency, while violence by militant groups, including allies of the Pakistani Taliban, has surged nationwide in recent months.