Pakistan Army confirms death of 10 soldiers in anti-terror encounter

Aug. 26, 2024, 2:01 p.m.

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Separatist militants killed at least 39 people in “coordinated” attacks in southwestern Pakistan on Monday that largely targeted ethnic Punjabis, government officials said.

Pakistan’s military said 10 soldiers were also killed, although did not make clear if they died in the original attacks or subsequent clearance operations.

Government officials reported multiple deadly attacks in impoverished Balochistan, targeting civilians. The province is known for its ongoing struggle with sectarian, ethnic, and separatist violence, where security forces are actively engaged in combat.

The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a prominent militant separatist group operating in the province, claimed responsibility for an overnight operation in a statement released to AFP.

In one of the attacks, a group of militants stopped vehicles on a highway through Balochistan province and fatally shot 23 people, marking one of the deadliest shootings in the region in recent years.

“We have confirmed 39 people killed in several coordinated attacks carried out by the BLA terrorists,” Shahid Rind, a spokesman for the Balochistan provincial government, told AFP.

In Musakhail district, a group of 30 to 40 gunmen intercepted 22 buses, vans, and trucks one after another on a highway connecting Punjab with Balochistan, according to senior official Najibullah Kakar.

“Vehicles travelling to and from Punjab were inspected, and individuals from Punjab were identified and shot,” he told AFP.

Bridge blown up, hotel stormed

The BLA said in its statement it had launched an operation “on highways across Balochistan”, claiming to have targeted only security personnel.

An earlier statement from the group published Monday just after midnight warned the Baloch public to stay away from the highways, adding that their “fight is against the occupying Pakistani military”.

In a separate incident, militants detonated a railway bridge in the nearby Bolan district, disrupting rail connectivity between Balochistan, Punjab, and Sindh. Six bodies were discovered near the destroyed bridge.

In Kalat district, ten individuals lost their lives, including four paramilitary officers and one policeman, according to provincial government spokesman Rind.

Nabi Baksh, a member of the Levies paramilitary force that works alongside the police, reported that armed individuals had raided a hotel and also targeted a village leader perceived to have ties to the security forces.

Balochistan is Pakistan’s poorest province, despite an abundance of untapped natural resources, and lags behind the rest of the country in education, employment and economic development.

Baloch separatists have intensified attacks on Pakistanis from neighbouring provinces working in the region in recent years, as well as foreign energy firms they believe are exploiting the province’s riches.

Punjabis are the largest of the six main ethnic groups in Pakistan and are perceived as dominating the ranks of the military, which is locked in a battle to quash Balochistan’s armed factions.

Advertisement Pakistan’s military said in a statement on Monday that 21 militants had been killed “in clearance operations”.

Ethnic violence

Kiyya Baloch, an analyst and former journalist who monitors violence in Balochistan, argued that authorities are solely relying on force to suppress the two-decade conflict instead of pursuing political solutions.

“This approach has led to increased retaliation from the youth and has caused the insurgency to gain momentum rather than diminish,” he told AFP.

“Never before have so many coordinated attacks occurred simultaneously across multiple districts of Balochistan,” he said.

The BLA primarily targets security forces, and attacks on civilians often go unclaimed.

Eleven Punjabi laborers were killed after being abducted from a bus in the city of Naushki in April, and six Punjabis working as barbers were shot in May.

Advertisement Two explosions in Balochistan killed 28 people on the eve of national elections in February, and were claimed by the local chapter of the Islamic State group.

Baloch ethnic groups regularly organize demonstrations in the province, accusing authorities of using excessive force in their counter-insurgency operations, including mass arrests and detentions.

Since the Taliban's return to power in neighboring Afghanistan in 2021, Pakistan has witnessed a surge in militant attacks, primarily in the northwestern border province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but also in southwestern Balochistan, which shares borders with Afghanistan and Iran.