Pakistani forces kill more militants in Balochistan raids after weekend attacks
Pakistani security forces carried out multiple raids overnight in insurgency-hit areas of Balochistan, killing about two dozen militants, officials said Feb. 2. The raids followed a wave of coordinated insurgent attacks over the weekend in which militants killed 50 people, mostly civilians, including women and children, and targeted police stations, civilian homes and other security facilities across the province.
Police backed by the military conducted the new raids in several areas against members of the outlawed separatist Baloch Liberation Army, beginning after nearly 200 militants in small groups carried out simultaneous suicide bombings and gun attacks starting Saturday, according to officials. Analysts said the scale of militant deaths in the past 48 hours is the highest in decades.
Defense Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif said in remarks to parliament on Monday that attacks claimed by the Baloch Liberation Army killed 33 civilians and 17 security forces. Asif also said the government would not hold talks with the Baloch Liberation Army, saying no negotiations would be held with “terrorists” who killed civilians, including women and children, when they attacked residences of Baloch laborers in Gwadar on Saturday.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said in a statement on Monday that security forces had killed an additional 22 insurgents. He described those killed as “Indian-backed terrorists,” while the statement did not include immediate evidence of Indian involvement, and there was no immediate response from New Delhi.
Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest province by area, is among its least populated, and it is home to a largely high-mountain region and an ethnic Baloch minority. Baloch separatists have said they face discrimination and exploitation by the central government, and authorities say the province also hosts Islamic militant groups.
Authorities said normalcy had largely returned to the province by Monday, but train service between Balochistan and the rest of the country remained suspended for a third consecutive day. Provincial authorities suspended service after the attacks, citing security concerns, and said the suspension remained in effect.
In March, the Baloch Liberation Army attacked the Jaffar express train carrying hundreds of passengers through Balochistan, taking passengers hostage before security forces launched a rescue operation. All 33 assailants were killed, and passengers were freed.
The Baloch Liberation Army, which is banned in Pakistan, has carried out attacks in recent years, including actions authorities say have targeted security forces and Chinese interests and infrastructure projects. Authorities also say the group has operated with support from the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, which is allied with Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers.