Baloch separatists kill 15 security personnel, 37 militants in Balochistan. Photos: X.
What is happening in Balochistan? At least 15 security personnel and 37 militants were killed after ethnic separatists launched coordinated attacks across Pakistan’s Balochistan province on Saturday. This is one of the most widespread offensives in the insurgency-hit region in recent months, according to the reports.
The separatists attacked across more than a dozen locations, triggering armed confrontations, explosions, and assaults on security installations. The attacks prompted a large-scale response from Pakistani forces.
Security Officials Confirm Casualties, Describe Attacks as Coordinated
A senior security official told AFP, “the terrorists launched coordinated attacks this morning at more than 12 locations.”
“Thirty-seven terrorists have been eliminated. Ten security personnel were martyred while a few others were injured,” he added. The number of security personnel killed later went up to 15.
However, the casualty figures appeared to vary across official accounts. E
Authorities imposed emergency measures across affected districts as security operations continued.
Mobile phone services were jammed, traffic was disrupted, and train services were suspended across the province, officials said, as forces attempted to stabilise the situation and prevent further attacks.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif commended the security forces for thwarting the attacks, stating they had prevented greater damage across 12 locations.
“I, along with the entire nation, am proud of our martyrs,” Sharif said in a statement.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), the most active separatist militant group in the province, claimed responsibility for the attacks in a statement sent to AFP.
The sudden and brazen nature of the attacks reportedly stunned the Pakistan Army, forcing troops to abandon their posts in several areas, according to accounts cited in reports.
Following reports of armed confrontations, blasts, and assaults on security facilities at more than a dozen locations, the BLA announced that it had launched Phase 2 of its operation, named “Operation Herof”, which it described as an effort to “protect the motherland.”
The group’s media wing, Hakkal, released a video message from BLA commander-in-chief Bashir Zeb Baloch, in which he called on the Baloch population to rise against Pakistani forces.
“This struggle does not belong to any single individual but to collective consciousness. When a nation stands united, the enemy cannot avoid defeat despite its power,” Bashir Zeb Baloch said, according to The Balochistan Post.
“The Baloch nation is urged to step out and become part of Operation Herof,” he added.
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Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
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