The cumulative death toll from ongoing counter-terror operations in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province has reached 193, with security forces conducting large-scale raids against the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA).
As many as 145 BLA terrorists were killed, along with 48 others—including 17 law enforcement personnel—following two suicide attacks on Army facilities in the province.
At a press conference in the provincial capital, Quetta, Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti stated, “17 law enforcement personnel, including a navy troop, were killed in clashes with terrorists who carried out coordinated attacks at 12 locations on Saturday.”
The attacks occurred across the Quetta, Mastung, Nushki, Dalbandin, Kharan, Panjgur, Tump, Gwadar and Pasni districts. The proscribed BLA has carried out multiple terrorist attacks on security forces in the mineral-rich province and has claimed responsibility for the latest strikes. Pakistan has witnessed a renewed surge in terror-related incidents in recent years, particularly in its southwestern regions.
Islamabad has repeatedly accused India of involvement in the sustained violence in Balochistan and northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province—allegations firmly denied by New Delhi.
The BLA and its affiliates, including the Majeed Brigade and Fitna-al-Khawarij, have been fighting for the independence of Balochistan, which constitutes 42 per cent of Pakistan’s total land area.
Chief Minister Bugti added that more than 1,500 terrorists were killed in security operations across BLA-affected areas last year.
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