Nearly 90 killed as separatist militants launch coordinated attacks in Pakistan

Islamabad, Jan 31 (EFE).- At least 88 people, including security personnel, civilians and militants, were killed on Saturday as separatist fighters launched coordinated attacks across Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province and attempted to lay siege to the provincial capital, Quetta, officials said.

Fighters belonging to the outlawed Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for assaults at at least 14 cities across the province as part of what they called “Operation Herof 2.0,” also referred to as “Black Storm.”

Official sources told EFE that the dead include 10 civilians, 67 insurgents, and 10 policemen and soldiers.

The 11 dead civilians included five men, three women and three children from day laborer families. They were killed in the port city of Gwadar.

However, BLA spokesperson Jeeyand Baloch said their fighters neutralized 84 soldiers and policemen and captured 18 soldiers alive, a claim that has not been independently verified.

The security sources said security forces thwarted what they described as “poorly executed” attacks by Baloch insurgents, whom the Pakistani government and military label as “Fitna al Hindustan,” alleging Indian sponsorship ofthe trouble in Balochistan.

“Pakistan’s security forces responded swiftly at all locations, neutralized the attackers, and restored control within hours,” a source said.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi paid tribute to the security forces for foiling the attacks.

“The brave sons of Pakistan took timely and effective action and killed 37 terrorists,” Naqvi said in a statement, also honoring the 10 security personnel who lost their lives.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif likewise praised the security forces for “thwarting the insidious attempt” by militants “to undermine peace in Balochistan and defeating the enemy’s designs.”

Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind said the attacks followed the killing of more than 70 insurgents during security operations conducted over the past two days.

In a post on X, Rind said the assaults “were foiled in a timely manner due to swift action by the police and the Frontier Constabulary (FC).”

“At this time, the pursuit of the fleeing terrorists is ongoing,” he added.

Amid heightened security concerns, Pakistan Railways suspended train services from Balochistan to other parts of the country for one day.

“The Quetta–Peshawar Jaffar Express and other passenger trains have been canceled due to the prevailing security situation,” Pakistan Railways spokesperson Faqir Hussain told EFE from Quetta.

In August 2024, the BLA carried out “Operation Herof 1.0” at multiple locations across Balochistan, leaving more than 70 people dead, including 14 security personnel and 21 militants.

In a statement issued, the BLA, the most prominent of several separatist groups operating in the province, claimed it targeted military and administrative installations across Balochistan.

“Various units of the Baloch Liberation Army are participating in the second phase of Operation Herof 2.0 in a coordinated and organized manner,” BLA spokesperson Jeeyand Baloch said.

In a separate claim, the BLA said it had taken “full control” of the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) headquarters in Nushki, an assertion that could not be independently verified.

Balochistan has faced a separatist insurgency for more than two decades, with ethnic Baloch militants fighting for independence from Pakistan, accusing the federal government of unfairly exploiting the province’s natural and mineral resources. EFE

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