Pakistani security forces say they have killed at least 177 insurgents during a large-scale crackdown launched after coordinated militant attacks in Balochistan left more than 50 people dead.
The operation began Sunday, following a wave of assaults across the southwestern province a day earlier.
The attacks, carried out at multiple locations, killed at least 31 civilians, including five women, along with 17 security personnel. Authorities described the response operation as one of the most significant in decades, saying security forces, police, and intelligence agencies acted quickly to counter what officials described as planned terrorist activity.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said the coordinated response prevented further violence, stating that authorities acted decisively to stop what he called the “nefarious intentions” of militant groups.
Pakistan’s government and military have again accused India of supporting the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), claims New Delhi strongly rejected. India said the accusations were an attempt to divert attention from Pakistan’s internal issues, urging Islamabad to instead address long-standing grievances in the region.
The BLA, banned in Pakistan since 2009, claimed responsibility for the attacks, describing them as part of a coordinated campaign targeting security forces across Balochistan. The province, Pakistan’s largest but least populated, is rich in natural resources and has been the centre of a long-running separatist insurgency.
Militant groups in the region frequently target security forces and foreign nationals, including Chinese workers involved in major infrastructure projects linked to China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
Deadly Clashes In Balochistan Leave 193 Dead In Worst Violence In Decades
At least 145 militants and 48 others, including 17 law enforcement personnel, were killed in a series of clashes across Balochistan over the past 40 hours, Pakistan officials claimed on Sunday.… pic.twitter.com/KXTHPY8ewh
— RT_India (@RT_India_news) February 2, 2026
