For decades, the country has faced a rebellion in Balochistan, a poor region that borders Iran and Afghanistan and whose subsoil is home to abundant minerals and hydrocarbons.
At least 18 civilians and 15 security forces officers died in “coordinated” attacks carried out by Balochistan separatists in different parts of southwestern Pakistan, authorities reported this Saturday (31).
Also the death of 92 militants was recordedincluding “three suicide attackers”.
For decades, Pakistan has faced a separatist rebellion in Balochistan, a poor region bordering Iran and Afghanistan and whose subsoil is home to abundant minerals and hydrocarbons.
The communications arm of the Armed Forces (ISPR) said in a statement that the attacks took place in several locations, including the provincial capital, Quetta, and Gwadar.
The Balochistan Liberation Army, the most active separatist group in the province, claimed responsibility for the attacks in a statement.
The group said it attacked military installations and police and civil administration officials in armed actions and suicide bombings. It also blocked highways to hamper the response of security forces.
A The offensive came a day after the Pakistani army announced that it had killed 41 Balochistan rebels.
Os separatists “carried out coordinated attacks this morning in more than 12 locations”including the provincial capital, Quetta, a security force official told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.
A military source in the capital, Islamabad, confirmed the attacks and said they were “coordinated but poorly executed due to poor planning” by the rebels.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised the security forces and promised to “continue the war against terrorism until its complete eradication.”
In Quetta, an AFP correspondent heard several explosions during a major security operation in the city. Many streets were deserted and stores remained closed.
“The police point their guns in our direction and say that we have to leave, if we don’t want to be attacked. What are we going to do?”, said Abdul Wali, 38, who needed to cross the city to visit his hospitalized mother.
In recent years, separatists in Balochistan have intensified attacks against Pakistanis from other provinces working in the region. They also attacked foreign companies in the energy sector.
The year 2024 was particularly violent, with more than 1,600 dead, almost half of them soldiers and police, according to the Islamabad Center for Security Research and Studies.
*With information from AFP
