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| Security personnel are positioned near the burnt-out vehicles at the site of the shooting on the national highway in Musakhail district, Balochistan province, on August 26, 2024. (Photo: AFP) |
QUETTA, Pakistan: Over 60 individuals lost their lives in Pakistan's Balochistan province following a series of attacks by separatist militants on police stations, railways, and highways. In response, security forces launched retaliatory operations, as reported by officials on Monday (Aug 26).
These assaults are among the most extensive in recent years by ethnic militants involved in a long-standing insurgency aimed at gaining independence for the resource-rich southwestern province. Balochistan is home to significant China-led projects, including a strategic port and a gold and copper mine.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi described the attacks as a deliberate attempt to create chaos in Pakistan. He stated that security forces had eliminated 12 militants in operations conducted after the attacks on Sunday and Monday.
Pakistan's military reported that 14 soldiers and police officers, along with 21 militants, were killed in the clashes following the largest attack, which targeted buses and trucks on a major highway.
It remains unclear if the figure of 21 militants includes the 12 confirmed dead by the interior ministry.
Local authorities reported that at least 23 people died in the highway attacks, during which armed assailants checked passengers' identification before shooting many of them and setting vehicles on fire.
Rail services to Quetta were halted due to explosions on a rail bridge connecting the provincial capital with the rest of Pakistan. Militants also targeted a rail link to neighboring Iran, according to railways official Muhammad Kashif.
Police discovered six unidentified bodies near the site of the railway bridge attack.
Officials also reported that militants attacked police and security stations across Balochistan, the largest and least populated province of Pakistan, resulting in at least 10 deaths in one incident.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), an armed militant group, claimed responsibility for the operation, which they named "Haruf" or "dark windy storm." In a statement to the media, the BLA mentioned additional attacks over the past day that have not yet been verified by authorities.
The group stated that four suicide bombers, including a woman from the southern port district of Gwadar, were involved in an assault on a major paramilitary base, although Pakistani authorities have yet to confirm this attack.
The BLA is the most prominent among several ethnic insurgent groups challenging the central government, accusing it of exploiting Balochistan's gas and mineral resources while the province endures high poverty levels. The group seeks the expulsion of China and independence for Balochistan.
The attacks coincided with the anniversary of the death of Baloch nationalist leader Akbar Bugti, who was killed by Pakistan's security forces in 2006.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif promised that security forces would respond and ensure those responsible are brought to justice.
