Up to 33 people, at least 15 security personnel and 18 civilians, were killed in “coordinated but poorly executed” separatist attacks in Pakistan’s Baluchistan province on Saturday.
Pakistan’s military said 92 militants, including “three suicide bombers”, were also killed in the latest violence in the insurgency-hit southwestern region.
Pakistan has been battling a separatist insurgency in Balochistan for decades, with frequent attacks on security forces, foreign nationals and foreigners in the mineral-rich province bordering Afghanistan and Iran.
According to an AFP report, citing a statement from Pakistan’s military media wing, the attacks took place in several locations, including the provincial capital Quetta and Gwadar.
“Eighteen innocent civilians” and 15 security personnel were killed, the army’s media wing (ISPR) said in a statement, taking the death toll among militants to 92.
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The circumstances of the civilian deaths were not immediately clear.
A senior military official in Islamabad said the attacks were “coordinated but poorly executed”, adding that they “failed due to poor planning and a rapid collapse behind an effective security response”.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised the security forces for “faking” the attacks.
In an official statement, Sharif accused India of supporting the separatists and said, “We will continue the war against terrorism until its complete eradication.
“One Explosion After Another”
AFP, citing police officials, said the attacks were not yet fully under control in the four districts. The news agency also reported that its journalist heard several explosions in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province.
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AFP also reported tight security across the city, with major roads deserted and shops closed.
“There have been explosions one after the other since morning,” 38-year-old Abdul Wali told AFP. “The police are pointing guns at us and saying ‘go back’ or they will beat us. What are we supposed to do?”
Deputy District Commissioner kidnapped
The deputy district commissioner was abducted by gunmen, a senior official in Quetta told AFP.
Another senior government official said the militants “freed at least 30 inmates from the district jail, seizing firearms and ammunition. They also attacked a police station and took away ammunition.”
Mobile phone services were blocked and transport disrupted in the affected districts, while train services were suspended across the province.
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The Baloch Liberation Army claims responsibility
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), the province’s most active militant separatist group, claimed responsibility for the attacks in a statement sent to AFP.
The group said it had targeted military installations and police and civil administration officials in shooting and suicide attacks.
It said major highways were blocked to disrupt military operations.
