Pakistan shocker: Militants kill 33 in slew of attacks in Balochistan; blow up vehicles, rail line, bridge

The dead included 20 Punjabi labourers and two paramilitary soldiers.

Separatist militants launched a series of coordinated attacks across Pakistan's Balochistan province, leading to the deaths of at least 33 people, marking one of the most significant assaults by ethnic insurgents in recent years. The militants targeted police stations, railway lines, and vehicles on highways, underscoring the enduring intensity of the insurgency that has long sought independence from Pakistan.

In one of the most brutal incidents, gunmen affiliated with the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) ambushed vehicles in Balochistan's Musakhel district on Monday, killing 23 people. The militants stopped vehicles on a highway connecting Punjab and Balochistan, forcibly removing passengers and targeting them based on their ethnicity. Among the dead were 20 Punjabi labourers and two paramilitary soldiers. The attackers also set several vehicles on fire.

The BLA claimed responsibility for the attack, alleging that the victims were military personnel in civilian attire. This incident is part of a broader pattern of violence in Balochistan, where ethnic insurgents continue to challenge the Pakistani state, often targeting those they perceive as outsiders or representatives of the government.

Assistant Commissioner Musakhail, Najeeb Kakar, stated that armed men blocked the inter-provincial highway in the Rarasham district of Musakhel, where they forcibly offloaded passengers from buses, as per a report by Pakistani daily Dawn.

The militants also detonated explosives on a rail line between Pakistan and Iran, as well as on a railway bridge connecting Quetta, the provincial capital, to the rest of the country. The blasts caused the suspension of rail traffic with Quetta, according to railways official Muhammad Kashif.

The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), a militant group advocating for the secession of the resource-rich province, has claimed responsibility for the attacks in a statement emailed to journalists. The BLA also asserted responsibility for several other attacks, including one on a major paramilitary base, although Pakistani authorities have yet to confirm these additional incidents.

Ten people were killed, including six security personnel, three civilians, and one tribal elder, when insurgents stormed a Balochistan Levies station in the central district of Kalat, according to police official Dostain Khan Dashti. The militants also targeted police stations in two southern coastal towns, though the death toll from these attacks has yet to be confirmed.

This incident reflects a troubling pattern of violence in Balochistan, where sectarian, ethnic, and separatist conflicts are prevalent. Separatist groups like the BLA have increased their attacks on Punjabis and others, accusing them of exploiting the region's resources without contributing to its development.

Past targeted attacks include one in April that killed 11 Punjabi labourers and another in October 2023 in Turbat, where six Punjabi workers were murdered. These incidents highlight the escalating ethnic violence and ongoing security issues in Balochistan.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has condemned the attack, expressing deep sorrow and pledging to tackle the terrorist violence in the region.

Balochistan, Pakistan's largest province by size but the least populated, remains underdeveloped with widespread poverty. It borders both Iran and Afghanistan and has long been the site of an ongoing insurgency as militants demand independence for the resource-rich province.