A wave of coordinated militant attacks swept across Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province early Saturday, as the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) struck police stations, a high-security prison, and paramilitary installations in what officials described as one of the most widespread assaults in recent months.
The attacks began around 3 a.m. local time and unfolded simultaneously at more than a dozen locations, triggering hours-long gun battles and emergency security operations across several districts. At least 10 members of Pakistan’s security forces were killed, with several others wounded, while 11 civilians — including three women and three children from ethnic Baloch families — also lost their lives, according to local officials.
Internet services were suspended in multiple areas as authorities attempted to prevent the spread of misinformation, while train services were halted amid fears of sabotage along key transport routes. Major highways were also temporarily blocked, further disrupting civilian movement.
A senior security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said militants launched “coordinated attacks at over 12 locations” targeting police, military, and civil administration facilities. The official added that security forces responded swiftly, killing at least 67 militants during the ensuing operations.
Another senior military official in Islamabad described the assaults as “coordinated but poorly executed,” saying they “collapsed rapidly under an effective and timely security response.” According to the official, several suicide attackers failed to reach their intended targets after encountering resistance.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised the security forces for thwarting what he called an attempt to destabilize the province. “We will continue the war against terrorism until its complete eradication,” Sharif said in a statement, while also reiterating Pakistan’s longstanding allegation that India provides support to Baloch separatist groups — a claim New Delhi has consistently denied.
The Baloch Liberation Army, the most active separatist militant group operating in Balochistan, claimed responsibility for the attacks. In a statement circulated online, the group said it had carried out gun assaults and suicide bombings against military installations and law enforcement personnel, and deliberately blocked highways to slow security reinforcements.
Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti said the attacks would not weaken the government’s resolve. “Over the past 12 months, security forces in Balochistan have sent more than 700 terrorists to hell, with around 70 terrorists eliminated in just the last two days,” Bugti said. “These attacks cannot weaken our resolve against terrorism.”
Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest but least developed province, has long been plagued by an insurgency driven by separatist groups who accuse the central government of exploiting the region’s natural resources while neglecting its population. Violence has intensified in recent years, particularly targeting Chinese-linked infrastructure projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
Meanwhile, speculation over a possible trilateral defense alliance involving Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey was dismissed by regional officials. A source close to the Saudi military said Turkey would not join any mutual defense pact with Pakistan.
“Turkey won’t join the defence pact with Pakistan,” the source said, calling reports of trilateral negotiations inaccurate. “It’s a bilateral pact with Pakistan and will remain a bilateral pact.”
A Gulf official confirmed the assessment, noting that while Saudi Arabia maintains security cooperation with Turkey, its defense arrangements with Pakistan are separate. “This is a bilateral defensive relationship with Pakistan,” the official said.
The reported defense pact has drawn regional attention, particularly over speculation that it could include a nuclear dimension, given Pakistan’s status as a nuclear-armed state. Officials in both countries, however, have offered few details about the scope of the agreement.
Elsewhere in the region, Iranian authorities sought to quell speculation after an explosion ripped through a residential building in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas on Saturday. Local officials said the blast was caused by a gas leak and not linked to any security incident.
State television reported that the explosion destroyed two floors of an eight-storey building along Moallem Boulevard, damaging nearby vehicles and shops. “The initial cause of the building accident in Bandar Abbas was a gas leak and buildup, leading to an explosion,” said Mohammad Amin Lyaghat, the city’s fire chief.
At least one child was killed and 14 others injured, according to Mehrdad Hassanzadeh, head of crisis management in Hormozgan province. Images shared on social media showed sections of the building’s facade blown outward.
The incident occurred amid heightened regional tensions as the United States increases its military presence in the Gulf, including the deployment of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, and as President Donald Trump escalates warnings of potential military action against Iran.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) denied online rumours suggesting that its naval facilities in Hormozgan province had been targeted. The semi-official Tasnim news agency also dismissed claims of an assassination attempt against IRGC naval commander Alireza Tangsiri.
Separate gas-related incidents were reported elsewhere in Iran on Saturday, including an explosion in Ahvaz that killed four people and a minor fire near Tehran, both of which authorities said were unrelated to security threats.
