10 Security Personnel and 37 Militants Killed in Attacks by Separatists in Southwestern Pakistan

SadaNews - At least ten security personnel and 37 militants were killed in "coordinated attacks" carried out by Baloch separatists on Saturday in Balochistan province in southwestern Pakistan, according to an official source.

A senior security official told the French Press Agency, requesting anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to the media: "The terrorists... carried out coordinated attacks this morning on more than 12 sites," adding, "37 terrorists were neutralized... and ten security personnel were martyred with others injured."

Earlier, a senior security official working in Quetta, the largest city in the region facing violence carried out by armed groups fighting the state, stated: "Coordinated attacks using firearms and suicide bombings are occurring across Balochistan, primarily in the areas of Quetta, Pasni, Mastung, Nushki, and Gwadar."

A senior military official in Islamabad confirmed that the attacks were "coordinated," but emphasized that they were "foiled... thanks to an effective response from security forces," without providing any details about the casualty figures.

Train services in the targeted areas have been suspended, and mobile phone services and traffic experienced disruptions.

The "Baloch Liberation Army," the largest separatist group in the region bordering Afghanistan and Iran, claimed responsibility for these attacks in a statement received by the French Press Agency.

The attacks come after the Pakistani army announced on Friday the killing of 41 separatist rebels in Balochistan.

The "Baloch Liberation Army" regularly claims responsibility for deadly attacks on security forces and Pakistanis from other provinces, accusing them, alongside foreign investors, of plundering their resource-rich region without allowing local residents to benefit from this wealth.

The region is rich in hydrocarbons and minerals; however, its residents complain of marginalization and deprivation, making it the poorest area in Pakistan.

Pakistan has faced a rebellion in the region for decades, but attacks have increased in the western border areas with Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021.

The year 2024 has been particularly bloody, with more than 1,600 people killed, about half of whom were soldiers and police officers, according to the Islamabad Center for Research and Security Studies.