Pakistan deploys helicopters, drones to retake town from insurgents as scores killed

Pakistan’s security forces have deployed helicopters and drones to regain control of a town in the country’s largest province after separatist insurgents seized key installations, resulting in a death toll of 58 in the restive region.

Police on Wednesday reported that the confrontation followed a series of coordinated attacks by the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) over the weekend, causing a near standstill in the southwestern province of Balochistan. 

Security forces engaged in gunfire with militant members of the separatist BLA group at over a dozen locations, killing 197 militants in the process.

“I thought the roof and walls of my house were going to blow up,” said a resident near the main administrative building in Quetta, the fortified provincial capital, describing the impact of a powerful morning blast.

The BLA, the region’s most potent insurgent group, launched one of its largest operations in recent years, storming schools, banks, markets, and security installations across the province. The attacks left more than 22 security personnel and 36 civilians dead.

Pakistani forces kill 145 militants after deadly attacks in Balochistan

Pakistani forces kill 145 Baloch militants after deadly attacks in Balochistan province.

In the desert town of Nushki, home to around 50,000 people, insurgents captured the local police station and other security buildings, prompting a three-day standoff. Police said seven officers were killed before forces regained control late Monday, while operations against the BLA continue elsewhere in the province.

“More troops were sent to Nushki,” said one security official, speaking on condition of anonymity. “Helicopters and drones were used against the militants.”

Balochistan, a resource-rich but long-neglected province, has been at the center of violence led by separatist groups, particularly the BLA, and other Takfiri terrorist groups. The group claims that Islamabad exploits the province’s natural resources, such as gold and copper, while neglecting the local population.

Energy projects, especially those involving Chinese investments, have been key targets of BLA attacks, as the group argues that foreign powers and Pakistan’s central government are looting the region’s resources without benefiting its people.

The BLA claimed on Tuesday that 280 soldiers were killed during its “Operation Herof,” also called Black Storm, although no independent evidence was provided.

Security officials reported that the weekend attacks began at 4 a.m. on Saturday with suicide bombings in Nushki and the fishing port of Pasni, followed by gun and grenade attacks in 11 other locations, including Quetta.

During the siege, insurgents briefly seized at least six district administration offices and advanced to within one kilometer of the provincial chief minister’s office in Quetta.

Authorities have warned that, despite the retaking of key towns, BLA operations may continue across the province.

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