Pakistan’s Balochistan, home to China-led projects, hit by militant attacks, 60 killed
- The attacks targeted police stations, railway lines, and vehicles on highways, with the Baloch Liberation Army claiming responsibility
Separatist militant attacks on police stations, railway lines and highways in Pakistan’s restive province of Balochistan, coupled with retaliatory operations by security forces, killed more than 60 people, officials said on Monday.
The most widespread assault by ethnic insurgents in years forms part of a decades-long effort to win secession of the resource-rich southwestern province, home to major China-led projects such as a strategic port and a gold and copper mine.
“These attacks are a well thought out plan to create anarchy in Pakistan,” Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said in a statement, adding that security forces had killed 12 militants in operations after the attacks on Sunday and Monday.
Pakistan’s military said 14 soldiers and police, and 21 militants, were killed in fighting after the largest of the attacks, which targeted vehicles from buses to goods trucks on a major highway.
It was not immediately clear if that included the 12 militants the interior ministry confirmed dead.
Local officials said at least 23 passengers were killed in the attack, with 35 vehicles set ablaze.