Terrorists planned to disrupt Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting

Militants from the banned "Balochistan Liberation Army" in Pakistan attempted to disrupt the summit of the heads of state of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), scheduled for October 15-16, 2024.

This was reported by The Express Tribune, citing the statement of Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi in the Senate (the upper house of the Islamic Republic's parliament).

"We have identified clear links indicating that they [the terrorists] planned to disrupt the SCO meeting," the publication quoted the minister as saying. He noted that several groups involved in the attacks in Balochistan had pre-planned a series of terrorist acts. The minister also emphasized the government's determination to eliminate the threat posed by radicals.

Late in the evening of August 27, a series of terrorist attacks occurred in Balochistan. The radicals targeted army recruitment centers, police stations, and the province's transport infrastructure. Throughout the day, reports of terrorist activity came from the cities of Mastung, Kalat, Pasni, Suntsar, Sibi, Panjgur, Turbat, Bela, Quetta, and Gwadar. The Balochistan Liberation Army claimed responsibility for the attacks. During a federal government meeting on August 27, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reported that the death toll from the attacks had exceeded 50.