The Media Line: Pakistan Reports 108 Terrorists, 11 Civilians, 10 Security Personnel Killed in Balochistan Violence 

Pakistan Reports 108 Terrorists, 11 Civilians, 10 Security Personnel Killed in Balochistan Violence   

By Arshad Mehmood/The Media Line  

Pakistan’s security forces foiled coordinated attacks by separatist gunmen across multiple locations in Balochistan on Saturday, killing at least 67 terrorists in swift retaliatory operations after civilians were killed in earlier violence. The operations brought the total number of gunmen neutralized across the province to 108 over the past two days.   

State broadcaster Pakistan Television reported that members of an armed group carried out coordinated attacks at more than a dozen locations, including Quetta, Nushki, Dalbandin, Pasni and Gwadar.  

The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), a designated terrorist group, claimed responsibility for Saturday’s assaults across the province.  

Ten police and security personnel were also killed while confronting the terrorists, and several others were reported injured.  

In Gwadar, terrorists targeted unarmed laborers, killing 11 civilians, including five men, three women and three children. The death toll, initially reported as five, was later confirmed as 11 following a thorough investigation. Security forces have since neutralized all the terrorists involved in the assault.  

Meanwhile, police officials said that 27 prisoners escaped from Mastung jail during the attack.  

Security forces, in conjunction with various other law enforcement agencies, successfully thwarted further attacks, and operations to apprehend the terrorists are continuing in numerous areas.  

Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi visited Quetta and held meetings with Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti and other senior military and civil officials.  

The BLA executed simultaneous attacks early Saturday across several cities in Balochistan, including the provincial capital, Quetta, leaving two police officers dead.  

According to local media, the violence in Quetta began with a powerful explosion, followed by sustained heavy gunfire and multiple blasts. The exchange lasted nearly two hours, prompting security forces to seal off sensitive areas and go on high alert.  

Terrorists attempted to enter the city, but police and other security forces prevented them.  

Due to the deteriorating security situation, all train services to and from Quetta have been suspended, and internet services are reportedly down in the affected areas.  

The Pakistan armed forces’ media wing said in a statement Friday that 41 terrorists were killed in counterterrorism operations in the insurgency-affected province.  

The armed forces’ media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations, stated that “intelligence-based operations were conducted in Harnai and Panjgur districts, during which a large cache of weapons and ammunition was also seized.”  

According to the statement, the operation in a suburban area of Harnai was launched following intelligence reports about the presence of terrorists, leading to an intense exchange of fire between the two sides.  

In the Harnai operation, 30 gunmen were killed, and a large quantity of ammunition and explosive material recovered from the militants’ possession was destroyed on the spot.  

The statement further said that, based on separate intelligence, another operation was carried out in the Panjgur district of Balochistan, where an armed group’s hideout was targeted and 11 terrorists were killed.  

Several armed groups, including the BLA and Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, are active in the mineral-rich province of Balochistan.  

The province, which holds vast reserves of natural resources such as gas, coal, copper and gold, has for years been gripped by a low-intensity insurgency and terrorist activity against security forces, government installations and civilians. They have also targeted key projects such as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, currently under construction.  

Authorities say these groups exploit local grievances, rugged terrain and cross-border linkages to sustain their operations, making counterterrorism efforts in the region particularly challenging.  

Islamabad strongly believes that India is sponsoring militant elements operating from Afghan territory, allegations India denies.  

Pakistan and Afghanistan, landlocked neighbors with a long and porous border, have seen relations strain over the past year amid concerns about insurgent groups planning attacks from Afghan soil.  

Pakistani officials claim these groups are facilitated from across the border, while the Taliban-led government in Kabul insists Afghan territory is not being used against any country.  

The BLA is a designated terrorist organization and is also listed on the United States’ terror list, highlighting the ongoing threat posed by these groups to regional stability and security.  

This designation was confirmed by the US Department of State in August 2025, marking a significant strengthening of its 2019 classification of the group as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist entity.  

Meanwhile, the United Kingdom condemned the terrorist attacks across parts of Balochistan.  

As stated by the British High Commission in Pakistan on X: “Our thoughts are with the families of those who lost their lives and all those affected. We stand with Pakistan in rejecting terrorism and in our shared commitment to peace and security.”