Al Jazeera reported that over 70 people have been killed in a series of terror attacks across Balochistan province, Pakistan, citing military and police sources. The military reported that 14 soldiers and police officers were among the fatalities. The attacks included a major assault on vehicles on a highway in Bela, Lasbela district, where 21 terrorists were killed.
In a separate incident in Musakhel district, at least 23 civilians were killed when attackers stopped their convoy, checked IDs, and targeted those identified as Punjabis. Additionally, 35 vehicles were set on fire. An attack in Kalat resulted in the deaths of 10 individuals, including five police officers and five civilians, at a police post and on a highway.
On Monday, rail traffic to Quetta was suspended due to explosions on a rail bridge in Bolan, which connects the provincial capital to the rest of Pakistan, and on a rail link to neighbouring Iran. Six unidentified bodies were discovered near the railway bridge attack site.
Balochistan has experienced ongoing rebellion for years with several armed groups active in the region. Human rights organisations have criticised Pakistan’s handling of the movement, including practices such as enforced disappearances and other forms of repression. The attacks occurred along a highway leading to Punjab shortly after the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) issued a warning to avoid highways in the province. BLA claimed responsibility for targeting military personnel disguised as civilians, while Pakistan’s Interior Ministry stated that those killed were innocent civilians.
The injured individuals were transferred to the nearest major medical facility in Dera Ghazi Khan. President Asif Ali Zardari and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi both condemned the Musakhel attack as “barbaric” in separate statements and vowed that the perpetrators would face justice.
Uzma Bukhari, a spokesperson for the Punjab provincial government, described the attacks as “a matter of grave concern” and urged the Balochistan provincial government to “step up efforts to eliminate BLA terrorists.”
Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti also vowed that those responsible for the attacks would be held accountable. Local media reported that defence forces had killed 12 rebel across the province in the past 24 hours. The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) has previously claimed responsibility for similar attacks in the region, including the killing of seven barbers in Gwadar in May and the abduction and killing of several people from a highway in April. Armed groups like the BLA, which have secessionist goals, often target labourers from Punjab who come to work in the resource-rich but impoverished province, according to Al Jazeera.