Pakistan says 145 militants killed in Balochistan crackdown
Pakistani security forces say they have killed at least 145 militants in Balochistan during an intensified security operation launched after a wave of coordinated gun and bomb attacks that killed nearly 50 people across the province.
The violence erupted early Saturday at multiple locations in southwestern Balochistan, leaving 31 civilians, including five women, and 17 members of the security forces dead, according to officials. The attacks were claimed by the outlawed Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), a separatist group fighting the state for decades.
Authorities said the assaults targeted police stations, checkpoints, government buildings and key roads, triggering a sweeping response by the military, paramilitary forces and police. In the aftermath, the provincial government imposed months-long security restrictions, including bans on public gatherings and protests, limits on traffic movement and a prohibition on face coverings in public to aid identification, local media reported.
Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti told reporters in Quetta that the security forces had thwarted what he described as a large-scale militant plan to seize hostages and destabilise major urban centres. He said those killed belonged to “Fitna al-Hindustan,” a term the government uses to refer to the BLA.
'The bodies of all 145 militants are in our custody, and some were identified as Afghan nationals,' Bugti said, calling the death toll the highest recorded in a single counter-operation in the province in decades. He added that intelligence agencies had received warnings of imminent attacks, allowing forces to begin pre-emptive actions before the assaults unfolded.
The military said 92 militants were killed on Saturday and a further 41 during operations on Friday, with search-and-clearance missions continuing in remote districts.
Islamabad again accused India and Afghanistan of supporting the BLA and sheltering its leadership across the border, allegations both New Delhi and Kabul have repeatedly denied.
Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest but least populated province, has long been plagued by insurgency, underdevelopment and grievances over the exploitation of its vast mineral and gas resources. Rights groups have also raised concerns about enforced disappearances and civilian harm during security operations, accusations the government rejects.
.png "Advertisement")
