Pakistan’s military said on Sunday it had killed at least 92 militants following a wave of coordinated attacks across the south-western province of Balochistan, marking one of the deadliest days of violence in the region in recent years.
In a statement issued late Saturday, the military said the militants carried out multiple assaults targeting civilians and security installations in and around the provincial capital Quetta, as well as in several other cities and towns. The army said 15 security personnel and 18 civilians were also killed in the fighting.
The military accused India of supporting the militants behind the attacks, an allegation New Delhi has repeatedly denied in the past. There was no immediate response from Indian officials to the latest claims.
Earlier, the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), a separatist rebel group, claimed responsibility for the assaults, saying its fighters had killed dozens of Pakistani soldiers in coordinated strikes. The claims made by both the military and the insurgents could not be independently verified.
According to Pakistani authorities, militants armed with guns and grenades struck at least 12 locations across the province, targeting police stations, paramilitary posts, prison facilities and government buildings. Security sources said some attackers attempted to overrun sensitive installations, while others aimed to disrupt transport and communications.
In response, the military said it launched large-scale “clearance operations” across Balochistan, describing the actions as a decisive effort to prevent further attacks. “Security forces successfully thwarted the evil design of the terrorists,” the statement said, adding that operations were continuing in several areas.
Security measures were tightened across Quetta following the attacks. Roads leading to key administrative buildings were sealed, mobile phone services were temporarily suspended, and train services in parts of the province were halted as a precaution. Residents reported a heavy presence of security forces on major roads and checkpoints throughout the day.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised the military’s response, vowing to press ahead with what he described as a war against terrorism. “We will continue the fight against terrorism until its complete eradication,” Sharif said in a statement, offering condolences to the families of those killed.
Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest but least populated province, has been plagued by an ethnic insurgency for decades. Rebel groups such as the BLA accuse the federal government of exploiting the province’s vast natural resources, including gas and valuable minerals, without fairly sharing the benefits with the local population. The government denies the allegations and says it is investing heavily in development and infrastructure.
Local activists have also long accused Pakistani security forces of enforced disappearances and other human rights abuses in the province, claims Islamabad rejects. The military has said its operations are aimed solely at armed militants and those supporting them.
The roots of the insurgency date back to 1948, shortly after Pakistan gained independence from the British Indian Empire, when resistance emerged against the incorporation of Baloch territories into the new state. Since then, several waves of rebellion have erupted, driven by political grievances, economic marginalisation and demands for greater autonomy or independence.
Balochistan occupies a strategically sensitive position, sharing borders with Iran and Taliban-controlled Afghanistan and boasting a long coastline along the Arabian Sea. The province covers nearly 44% of Pakistan’s total land area but is home to only about 5% of the country’s more than 240 million people.
Named after the Baloch tribe, which has lived in the region for centuries, Balochistan is ethnically diverse. Balochs form the largest group, followed by Pashtuns. Despite its sparse population, the province is considered Pakistan’s richest in terms of natural resources, making it central to the country’s economic and strategic calculations—and a focal point of its long-running internal conflict.
