Over 120 killed in Pakistan’s Balochistan suicide bombings, gun attacks

Pakistan’s military announced that a series of coordinated suicide bombings and gun assaults across the southwestern province of Balochistan killed 33 people, including civilians, on January 31, while security forces killed 92 attackers in retaliation. 

Analysts described the day as the deadliest for militants in decades, Caliber.Az reports, per British media.

The attacks saw Baloch insurgents striking civilians, a high-security prison, police stations, and paramilitary posts. According to the military, 18 civilians and 15 security personnel were killed alongside the 92 militants. 

While Baloch separatists and the Pakistani Taliban often target security forces in Balochistan and other parts of the country, attacks of this scale are unusual. 

Authorities said at least 133 militants have been killed across Balochistan in the past 48 hours, with 92 deaths occurring on January 31 alone.

Pakistan’s military and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi claimed that the attackers had support from India, though New Delhi did not respond immediately and has previously denied such allegations.

Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest province by area, covers nearly 44% of the country and borders Iran and Afghanistan, with part of its territory along the Arabian Sea. It is home to roughly 5% of Pakistan’s 240 million population. The province is rich in natural resources, including gas and minerals, making it strategically and economically important.

The Pakistani province of Balochistan covers nearly 44% of the country's total land, sharing a volatile border with Iran and Afghanistan and covering part of the Arabian Sea coast. It is home to about 5% of the country's more than 240 million people.

Baloch separatist groups and the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), have increased attacks in recent months. The TTP, distinct from but allied with Afghanistan’s Taliban, has been active since the latter’s return to power in August 2021. 

Balochistan has long been a centre of insurgency, with separatist groups demanding independence from Islamabad’s central government.

By Jeyhun Aghazada