Nearly 60 people were killed in the latest insurgent attacks.

On Wednesday, Pakistan maintains a large security presence in Balochistan province as clashes continue due to the offensive launched by the separatist Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) last weekend.

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In one of its largest operations to date, the BLA launched coordinated attacks in at least twelve towns in the southwest, targeting security forces, infrastructure, and civilians. In these attacks, nearly 60 people, including civilians and military personnel, were killed.

Insurgents kidnapped Hussain Hazara, Deputy Commissioner of the Pakistani western district, along with his family and released a video of their captivity. They were later freed in an official security operation, while the Pakistani government deployed drones and helicopters in Noshki.

Noshki’s Deputy Commissioner, Maria Shamoon, recounted that insurgents even surrounded authorities’ homes on January 31. The attack, dubbed “Operation Herof” by the BLA, simultaneously struck targets in 14 cities.

Balochistan, rich in natural resources and bordering Iran and Afghanistan, has suffered for two decades from a separatist insurgency that demands “independence” and accuses Islamabad of exploiting resources without benefiting the local population.

Pakistani authorities say they have captured some 200 insurgents in subsequent counter-offensive operations. Meanwhile, BLA spokesman Jeeyand Baloch claimed that his fighters neutralized 84 soldiers and police officers.

Authorities also denounced the execution of 11 Baloch civilians in Gwadar, including five men, three women, and three children from migrant worker families, further escalating the conflict.

In this context, the Pakistani government attributed the offensive to the “Fitna al-Hindustan” Indian sedition and denounced external funding from its nuclear rival to destabilize the country.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi declared that the “brave sons of Pakistan” have thwarted the insurgents’ strategic objective, despite the scale of the deployment and the simultaneous coordination of the attacks.

teleSUR: JP

Source: EFE

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