August M
Pakistani authorities say they have carried out one of their largest security operations in decades after a wave of coordinated attacks shook the country’s southwest. The violence has reignited tensions in a region long marked by insurgency, poverty and competing regional claims.
The aftermath has brought sweeping security restrictions and fresh accusations against neighbouring countries.
Deadly attacks spark response
Pakistani security forces say they have killed at least 145 fighters in Balochistan during a manhunt launched after a series of gun and bomb attacks killed nearly 50 people, according to Al Jazeera.
The attacks, which began early on Saturday across several districts, left 31 civilians, including five women, and 17 members of the security forces dead. The banned separatist group Balochistan Liberation Army, or BLA, claimed responsibility.
Security tightened
In response, authorities imposed months-long security measures across the province. Public gatherings and demonstrations were banned, traffic movement restricted and face coverings prohibited in public spaces, Dawn newspaper reported.
Sarfraz Bugti, Balochistan’s chief minister, said troops and police acted swiftly, killing what he described as 145 members of “Fitna al-Hindustan,” a term used by the government for the BLA.
“The bodies of these 145 killed terrorists are in our custody, and some of them are Afghan nationals,” Bugti told reporters in Quetta.
Claims and denials
Bugti said the attackers aimed to take hostages but were stopped before reaching city centres. He also alleged that the group was backed by India and operated from Afghan territory.
Pakistan’s military said 92 fighters were killed on Saturday and another 41 on Friday. Bugti said intelligence warnings had prompted security forces to begin operations even before the attacks.
India rejected the accusations. “We categorically reject the baseless allegations made by Pakistan,” said Randhir Jaiswal, a spokesperson for India’s Ministry of External Affairs, adding that Islamabad should address domestic grievances instead.
On the ground
Al Jazeera correspondent Kamal Hyder reported that the BLA struck at least 12 locations in what he described as an “audacious” operation, including attacks in the provincial capital Quetta and on major highways.
Residents described scenes of burned vehicles, damaged police buildings and sealed-off streets as security patrols intensified. “They hit me on my face and head,” said Jamil Ahmed Mashwani, a private security guard injured in one of the attacks.
Long-running conflict
Balochistan, Pakistan’s poorest province, has endured decades of separatist violence driven by demands for greater autonomy and control over natural resources.
The BLA has repeatedly targeted security forces and civilians, including Chinese nationals working on development projects.
The United States condemned the attacks, calling them acts of terrorism and reaffirming support for Pakistan. Washington lists the BLA as a foreign terrorist organisation.
Sources: Al Jazeera, Dawn
