More than 120 people were killed in a coordinated attack by separatist militants in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province on Saturday. At least 92 militants were among the dead, and at least 33 others were killed, including 15 security personnel and 18 civilians, according to the Pakistani military.
Violence attributed to the Baloch Liberation Army disrupts daily life in various areas. (AP Photo/Representative Photo)Also Read | Suspected militant killed in gunfight with security forces in Assam: Police
The military said security forces responded quickly, launching clearance operations that killed 92 militants, including three suicide bombers. Officials described the attacks as coordinated, but they quickly broke up under pressure from security forces, Reuters reported.
The violence spread across several districts including Quetta, Gwadar, Mastung, Nushki, Dalbandin, Panjgur, Tump and Pasni and disrupted normal life. Roads were blocked, mobile networks jammed and train services suspended across the province as security operations continued, reports said.
Also Read | Chief of newly formed militant outfit arrested in Manipur, arms recovered: Police
In Gwadar, militants attacked a camp housing migrant workers, killing 11 civilians, including women and children, police said. Security forces later killed six militants in the area. Hospitals in affected districts have been put on emergency alert due to influx of injured, the report added.
Officials said militants stormed a district jail, freeing at least 30 inmates and recovering arms and ammunition. In another district, attackers abducted a senior civil administrator.
The outlawed Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it carried out simultaneous attacks across the province targeting military, police and government installations. The Pakistani military rejected the group’s claim of territorial control and said no towns or key installations had been captured, the report noted.
Also Read | 2 injured in suspected militant attack on hotel outside Jerusalem: police
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised security forces for foiling the attack and said Pakistan would continue to fight terrorism. The military has been accused of supporting militants from outside the country, a charge India denies.
Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest but poorest province, has faced a decade-long separatist insurgency, including repeated attacks on security forces, civilians and development projects in the resource-rich region.
(with input from Reuters)