The U.N. Security Council on Wednesday strongly condemned a recent surge of militant attacks in southwestern Pakistan that have killed dozens, mostly civilians, as security forces intensified operations in the insurgency-affected region.
Authorities said Pakistani forces have killed scores of militants in recent days while cracking down on insurgents in Balochistan, where about a dozen coordinated attacks began Saturday, targeting civilians and buildings housing police and security personnel.
Federal and provincial officials reported at least 36 civilians and 17 security personnel killed. Security forces said they have so far killed 197 militants from the outlawed Baloch Liberation Army, which claimed responsibility for recent suicide bombings and gun attacks.
In an overnight statement, U.N. Security Council President James Kariuki said the council condemned in the “strongest terms the heinous and cowardly terrorist attacks across multiple locations” in Balochistan and expressed condolences to the victims’ families and the government and people of Pakistan.
Balochistan has long faced a separatist insurgency by ethnic Baloch groups seeking greater autonomy or independence from Pakistan’s central government. While Islamabad has claimed to have quelled the insurgency, sporadic violence has continued.