At least 67 militants were killed on Saturday in intense clashes with Pakistan’s security forces across multiple cities in the southwestern province of Balochistan, according to four security officials cited by Reuters.
The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said 10 police and security personnel and 11 civilians were also killed in the coordinated militant attacks. Twenty-four police officers were injured in the violence.
Pakistan’s military media wing did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the attacks, praising security forces for repelling the militants and saying dozens of attackers had been neutralised during counter-operations.
Attacks Follow Deadly Raids a Day Earlier
The violence came just a day after Pakistan’s military announced it had killed 41 militants in separate security operations in Balochistan — a resource-rich but restive province bordering Iran and Afghanistan, which has faced a decades-long separatist insurgency.
The banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for Saturday’s attacks, saying it launched them simultaneously across the province. The group claimed it killed 84 Pakistani security personnel, a figure not independently verified.
Quetta, Gwadar Among Cities Hit
Security officials said armed militants carried out attacks in several urban centres, including provincial capital Quetta and the port city of Gwadar, prompting large-scale responses from the army, police and counterterrorism units.
Hospitals in several districts were placed on emergency footing, officials said.
Authorities later said the situation in Quetta was brought under control after armed men briefly blocked roads and a blast was reported near a high-security area.
Migrant Workers Targeted in Gwadar
In Gwadar, militants attacked a camp housing migrant workers, killing 11 people, senior police officer Atta-ur-Rehman said, revising an earlier death toll of five.
The victims included five men, three women and three children, he said.
Security forces later killed six militants in Gwadar during retaliatory operations.
Kidnapping Raises Alarm in Noshki
Officials said the situation remained critical in Noshki district, where militants kidnapped the area’s top civil administrator. In a video posted on social media, the official claimed he was being held by the attackers. Reuters said it could not independently verify the footage.
Security officials said in text messages that forces had responded effectively and that clearance operations were still ongoing in affected areas.