On Tuesday, the US condemned the recent terrorist attacks in Pakistan’s Balochistan province, which caused significant loss of life, and expressed its support for Islamabad in its fight against terrorism.
Sharing a post on X, the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs of the US State Department said, “The United States strongly condemns the multiple attacks in Pakistan’s Balochistan province which took many lives.”
Expressing condolences who lost their lives in the attacks, it further added, “Any violence disrupting peace and stability is indefensible. We stand with Pakistan in its fight against terrorism and we send our deepest condolences to those who lost their loved ones.”
Over 70 people were killed in a series of terrorist attacks in Pakistan’s Balochistan province, according to military and police officials cited by Al Jazeera. The country’s military reported that 14 soldiers and police officers lost their lives, while 21 terrorists were killed during a major attack on vehicles traveling on a highway in Bela, a town in Lasbela district.
In a separate incident in Musakhel district, local officials reported that at least 23 civilians were killed after attackers stopped their convoy, checked their IDs, and targeted those from Punjab. Additionally, 35 vehicles were set on fire. Another attack in Kalat resulted in the deaths of 10 people—five police officers and five civilians—during an assault on a police post and a highway.
On Monday, rail traffic to Quetta was suspended following explosions on a rail bridge in Bolan, a town that links the provincial capital to the rest of Pakistan, as well as on a rail connection to neighbouring Iran, according to railways official Muhammad Kashif. Police have discovered six unidentified bodies near the site of the railway bridge attack.
Balochistan province has been plagued by a long-standing insurgency, with multiple armed groups operating in the area. Rights organisations have criticised Pakistan’s response to the movement, accusing the state of enforced disappearances and other forms of repression, as reported by Al Jazeera. The attacks along the highway leading to Punjab occurred shortly after the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) issued a warning for people to avoid highways in the province.