The Kabul Tribune (KT) — Pakistan security forces killed at least 37 militants on Friday after thwarting coordinated attacks at 12 locations across Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province, officials said. Ten members of the security forces and police were also killed in the clashes, according to security sources.
The attackers, described by state officials as “Fitna al
Hindustan,” launched early-morning assaults aimed at multiple sites in the
province, Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti said. Authorities use the
term to refer to Balochistan-based militant groups they accuse of receiving
support from India.
Bugti said on X, formerly Twitter, that security forces had
killed 70 militants in separate operations over the past two days. “To save
their declining morale, Fitna al Hindustan terrorists attempted to carry out
attacks at multiple locations, which the courageous police of Balochistan and
brave personnel of the FC are jointly thwarting and have killed 37 more
terrorists so far,” he said. “These attacks cannot end our determination to
eliminate terrorism.”
State-run Radio Pakistan reported that security operations
were ongoing, with “further terrorist casualties and damages” expected.
Mobile phone services remained active in Quetta, Sibi and
Chaman, though data services were suspended following the attacks, officials
said.
Shahid Rind, a special aide to the chief minister, said
earlier that police and Frontier Corps personnel had foiled attempted attacks
at “a few places across Balochistan” following two days of intense operations
in which more than 70 militants were killed.
Balochistan Planning Minister Mir Zahoor Ahmed Buledi
condemned what he called the militants’ attempts to “terrorise citizens” and
damage public property. He said Bugti cut short meetings in Islamabad,
including one with the World Bank president, to return to Quetta and oversee
the response.
Hospitals on Emergency Alert
The provincial government imposed an emergency at all public
hospitals. Health Minister Bakht Muhammad Kakar directed medical officials in
Quetta to ensure immediate treatment for those wounded in the attacks.
Operating theaters were placed on high alert and additional medical staff
deployed.
Explosives Neutralized in Nasirabad
Separately, police in Nasirabad said they recovered and
defused suspected explosive materials found along a railway track. The
materials included an anti-tank mine, half a kilogram of explosives, petrol and
an iron rod. The devices were handed over to the Counter-Terrorism Department.
Railway lines in the region have been frequent targets of
militant attacks, with the Quetta-bound Jaffar Express hit repeatedly in recent
months.
Escalation in Violence
Balochistan has seen a surge in militant attacks, primarily
by the banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), which frequently targets security
forces. The United States designated the BLA and its Majeed Brigade as foreign
terrorist organizations in August 2025.
Pakistan experienced a 34% rise in militant attacks in 2025,
with 699 incidents recorded nationwide, according to the Pak Institute for
Peace Studies. Terrorism-related fatalities increased by 21% compared with the
previous year.
Recent attacks include a Jan. 5 IED blast in Panjgur that
killed one person and injured 16, and a December assault on a Frontier Corps
brigade headquarters in Chagai district’s Nokundi area. A suicide bombing on
Nov. 24 targeted the FC headquarters in Peshawar, killing three personnel and
injuring 12.
Security officials say operations will continue until all
militants involved in the latest attacks are eliminated.
