Pakistani security forces have stepped up operations against separatist militants in Balochistan following a coordinated wave of attacks that killed at least 48 people, including civilians and security personnel, officials said Sunday.
Authorities said calm had largely been restored across the province a day after militants carried out suicide bombings, armed assaults, and infrastructure sabotage in more than 10 cities — an operation analysts described as unprecedented in scale.
Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti said security forces killed 145 militants during operations conducted over a 40-hour period. He said the bodies were in government custody. Independent verification of the figures was not immediately possible.
The attacks began before dawn Saturday, when large groups of insurgents targeted military installations, police stations, banks, and transportation infrastructure. Rail lines were damaged, highways blocked, and suicide bombers struck in the provincial capital, Quetta, and in the port city of Gwadar.
At least 31 civilians and 17 members of the security forces were killed, according to officials.
Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi traveled to Quetta with provincial officials on Saturday to meet victims’ families and oversee the security response. He accused India of backing the militants, a claim New Delhi denied.
The banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attacks, alleging it killed dozens of security personnel and took hostages. Pakistani authorities have not confirmed those claims.
Residents and officials reported militants briefly roaming parts of Quetta, firing weapons, torching police facilities, and attacking a bank. Verified footage showed a vehicle ramming into the city’s heavily guarded government district before detonating, killing several police officers, including a deputy superintendent.
In Mastung district, insurgents stormed a prison and freed nearly 30 inmates, police said. In Gwadar, attackers attempted to breach security around the Chinese-built deep-sea port but were repelled. In Pasni, militants entered a coastguard facility after a suicide bomber detonated at the gate, killing at least one maritime security official.
Mobile internet services were suspended in multiple cities, including Quetta, Gwadar, and Noshki. Residents in Noshki reported that clashes continued into Sunday morning following attacks on counterterrorism and government offices.
Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said security forces had regained control and were conducting search-and-clear operations across affected areas.
Pakistan has long accused militant groups of using neighboring Afghanistan as a base for operations, a charge Kabul has repeatedly denied.
Government officials had previously said the insurgency in Balochistan was under control. Security analysts, however, said the scope and coordination of the attacks suggest otherwise.
“The scale of these assaults shows the situation has escalated significantly,” said analyst Zahid Hussain. He said the lack of political engagement in the province and heavy reliance on military control had worsened tensions. “Such operations are not possible without local support.”