The death toll from a series of militant attacks in Pakistan’s Balochistan province has risen to at least 73, according to Pakistani officials. The attacks, carried out by separatist militants, targeted police stations, railway lines, highways, and led to retaliatory operations by security forces.
The assaults, some of the most extensive in years, were part of a decades-long insurgency by ethnic militants seeking the secession of the resource-rich southwestern province. Balochistan is home to significant China-led projects, including a port and a gold and copper mine.
Pakistan’s military reported that 14 soldiers and police officers, along with 21 militants, were killed in the fighting, which included an attack on buses and trucks along a major highway.
Balochistan’s chief minister stated that 38 civilians were also killed. Local officials reported that 23 of them died in a roadside attack where armed men checked passengers’ identification before shooting many of them and setting vehicles on fire.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), an armed militant group, claimed responsibility for the operation, which they called “Haruf,” meaning “dark windy storm.” In a statement to journalists, the group claimed additional attacks over the past day, though these have yet to be confirmed by authorities.
The BLA also claimed that four suicide bombers, including a woman from the southern port district of Gwadar, were involved in an attack on the Bela paramilitary base. While Pakistani authorities have not confirmed the suicide blasts, the provincial chief minister reported that three people were killed at the base.
The BLA is the largest of several ethnic insurgent groups fighting the central government, accusing it of exploiting Balochistan’s gas and mineral resources while leaving the province mired in poverty. The group seeks the expulsion of Chinese interests and independence for Balochistan.
