Security forces launched an operation following a coordinated militant attack in Balochistan on Saturday that killed nearly 50 people
At least 177 insurgents have been killed in a security crackdown in Pakistan following coordinated attacks that left more than 50 people dead, the country’s Interior Ministry has said.
The operation was announced on Sunday after attacks by insurgent group the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) at multiple locations across the southwestern province of Balochistan, which borders Iran and Afghanistan.
The assaults began early on Saturday and killed at least 31 civilians, including five women, as well as 17 members of the security forces, Al Jazeera reported.
The number of militants killed over the past 48 hours in the response by the Pakistani authorities was the highest in decades, according to reports.
“Security forces, police, and intelligence agencies thwarted the nefarious intentions of terrorists by taking timely and effective action,” Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said in a statement.
Pakistan’s government and military have alleged that the BLA receives backing from India – an accusation New Delhi has denied.
“We categorically reject the baseless allegations made by Pakistan, which are nothing but its usual tactics to deflect attention from its own internal failings,” Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
“Instead of parroting frivolous claims each time there is a violent incident, it would do better to focus on addressing long-standing demands of its people in the region. Its record of suppression, brutality and violation of human rights is well known,” he posted on X.
The BLA was banned in Pakistan in 2009 under the country’s anti-terrorism laws. The insurgent group said the attacks were part of a coordinated operation dubbed Herof (‘Black Storm’), targeting security forces across the province, according to Reuters.
Balochistan is Pakistan’s largest but least populated province and home to key mining projects and the ethnic Baloch minority. The BLA has long sought independence for the province from the central government in Islamabad.
Insurgents frequently target police and military forces in the region, as well as foreigners, especially Chinese nationals who are building infrastructure projects in Pakistan as part of Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative. Islamist militants are also known to operate in the area.
