Politics

On Saturday, Pakistan's military reported that at least 92 militants were killed during clashes with security forces in several cities in Balochistan, a southwestern province. The military also stated that 15 of its personnel lost their lives in the clearance operations. Meanwhile, the militants attacked civilians, resulting in the deaths of at least 18 individuals, including women and children. This violence followed a previous announcement by the military, which stated that 41 militants had been killed in separate operations in Balochistan, a region adjacent to Iran and Afghanistan that has faced a long-standing separatist movement. The banned group, Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), took responsibility for the attacks, claiming they were carried out simultaneously throughout the province. The BLA asserted that it had killed 84 Pakistani security personnel and that the operation lasted for 15 hours. Pakistan’s military’s media wing, ISPR, accused Indian-backed militants of conducting these attacks, stating that security forces successfully prevented any city or important site from being taken over. The military's statement emphasized that intelligence reports confirmed the assaults were planned and directed by terrorist leaders located outside Pakistan, who maintained direct contact with the attackers during the events. The attacks spanned across various locations, including Quetta, Mastung, Noshki, Dalbandin, Kharan, Panjgur, Tump, Gwadar, and Pasni. Pakistan's Interior Minister, Mohsin Naqvi, condemned the assaults and commended the security forces for their efforts, noting in a statement that they had killed many militants.