Pakistan claimed that its security forces killed 75 militants during days-long operations launched after a series of deadly attacks on police, security personnel and civilians in the restive Balochistan province.
The operations targeted the banned Balochistan Liberation Army, which Islamabad held responsible for the attacks.According to the Balochistan government, operations involving the Pakistan Army, Frontier Forces and police began late Monday after dozens of alleged Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) militants attacked a police outpost near the Manji Dam, a major reservoir that supplies water to millions of people in Quetta and its surrounding areas.Pakistani authorities claimed that nine police officers and 15 attackers were killed in the initial attack.
They also claimed that the attackers kidnapped 18 police officers, who were later found blindfolded and shot dead after fleeing into the nearby mountains.The claim came a day after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited Quetta, where he met the families of 42 people killed in the attacks.According to the Pakistani Prime Minister’s Office, Sharif told the bereaved families that their sacrifices “were not in vain” and assured them that those responsible for the attack would be brought to justice.
The recent violence has raised concerns about the growing spread of separatist groups operating in Balochistan, where security forces have been fighting a decades-long insurgency.The Balochistan government also announced compensation of 11.1 million Pakistani rupees (about 39 thousand US dollars) to the family of every police officer killed in the attacks.Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest and least populated province, has witnessed a long-term separatist insurgency led by Baloch ethnic groups seeking greater autonomy or independence. The province has also faced attacks from the Pakistani Taliban, an armed group separate from but allied with the Afghan Taliban.Pakistan says that security operations are continuing in Balochistan, while independent verification of its claims regarding the number of militants killed and other details of operations was not immediately available.
