Coordinated Attacks Kill 10 Security Officials as 37 Militants Die in Balochistan
Coordinated Attacks Kill 10 Security Officials as 37 Militants Die in Balochistan
Coordinated gun and suicide attacks across Balochistan kill 10 security personnel and 37 militants, with strikes in Quetta, Pasni, Mastung, Nushki and Gwadar, signaling a renewed wave of violence.
In a major security setback, at least 10 security officials were killed and 37 militants killed in coordinated attacks across Pakistan's Balochistan province on Saturday. Officials said gun and suicide assaults were launched at more than a dozen locations across the province, including Quetta, Pasni, Mastung, Nushki and Gwadar. The operation was described as coordinated but poorly executed, with rapid security response quashing many of the assaults.
The clashes disrupted daily life as mobile phone networks were jammed and traffic and train services were suspended in several districts. The Baloch Liberation Army, the most active separatist group in the province, claimed responsibility in a statement to the press, saying it targeted military installations and police and civil administration officials during the attacks.
The violence adds to a long-running insurgency in Balochistan, which borders Afghanistan and Iran and sits on untapped mineral wealth. The situation follows a day after the military said it had killed 41 insurgents in two separate operations in the province, underscoring the persistence of the conflict and the challenge of restoring stability.
Security authorities described the attacks as coordinated, yet some officials noted the plan unfolded with weaknesses, emphasizing rapid countermeasures by security forces. With the province being Pakistan's poorest, the cycle of violence risks further destabilizing the region and complicating efforts to attract investment and protect civilians.
