Pakistan’s security forces have retaken control of the desert town of Nushki in southwestern Balochistan after a three-day confrontation with separatist militants, police said on Wednesday, as the death toll from the weekend’s violence climbed to 58.
Drones and helicopters were deployed during the operation, which followed one of the most coordinated insurgent offensives seen in the province in recent years.
Coordinated BLA Attacks Paralyse Province
The violence erupted early on Saturday when fighters from the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) launched simultaneous attacks across more than a dozen locations, bringing Pakistan’s largest province to a near standstill.
Militants stormed schools, banks, markets and security installations, killing more than 22 members of the security forces and at least 36 civilians, according to police officials who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Security forces said nearly 200 militants were killed during subsequent operations, though the figures could not be independently verified.
Nushki Siege Ends With Heavy Losses
In Nushki, a town of roughly 50,000 people, insurgents seized a police station and other government facilities, triggering a prolonged standoff. Seven police officers were killed before forces regained control late on Monday, officials said.
“Additional troops were sent to Nushki, and helicopters and drones were used against the militants,” one security official said, adding that operations against the BLA were continuing in other parts of the province.
Fear Spreads in Provincial Capital
The violence also rattled the fortified provincial capital, Quetta, where a powerful explosion struck near the main administrative complex.
“I thought the roof and walls of my house were going to blow up,” said Robina Ali, a resident living nearby, describing the intensity of the blast.
Police said insurgents had briefly advanced to within one kilometre of the chief minister’s office during the attacks and seized several district administration buildings before being pushed back.
Strategic Region Faces Long-Running Insurgency
Balochistan, Pakistan’s poorest yet mineral-rich province, borders Iran and Afghanistan and hosts major Chinese-backed infrastructure projects, including the Gwadar deepwater port.
The region has faced a decades-long insurgency by ethnic Baloch groups demanding greater autonomy and a larger share of local resources. The BLA is the strongest of these groups and claimed responsibility for the weekend’s attacks, alleging it killed hundreds of soldiers, a claim for which it provided no evidence.
Regional Tensions and Political Questions Persist
Pakistan has accused India of backing the insurgents, an allegation New Delhi has rejected, urging Islamabad instead to address long-standing political grievances in the region.
Retired Lieutenant General Amir Riaz said the insurgency had evolved over the past decade and was likely to fluctuate between periods of calm and intense violence. While insisting the military response would weaken the BLA, he said lasting peace would require political solutions.
“Ultimately, these issues are resolved through governance and a political process,” he said.
with inputs from Reuters
