At least 38 people have been killed in a series of attacks in the Balochistan province of southwestern Pakistan, where violence has been on the rise. The attacks involved armed men stopping buses and trucks to check passengers’ identification before opening fire, resulting in 23 deaths. They also set fire to 10 vehicles before fleeing the area of Rarasham in the Musakhail district.
In a separate incident in the Qalat district, nine individuals, including four police officers and five passersby, were shot and killed. On the same day, six people lost their lives when a railway line was bombed in Bolan. Additionally, a police station in Mastung was attacked, and several vehicles were burned in the city of Gwadar.
Balochistan has long been plagued by insurgency, with multiple armed groups active in the region. Human rights organizations have criticized Pakistan’s handling of the movement, which includes enforced disappearances and other forms of state repression. The attacks, which occurred along the highway connecting Balochistan with Punjab, came shortly after the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) warned people to stay away from the roads in the province.
In a statement, the BLA claimed that their fighters targeted military personnel traveling in civilian clothes, and that these individuals were shot as soon as they were identified. However, Pakistan’s Interior Ministry stated that the deceased were innocent civilians. “Vehicles traveling to and from Punjab were inspected, and individuals from Punjab were identified and shot,” stated Najibullah Kakar, a senior official in Musakhail, according to AFP.
The wounded were taken to a hospital in Dera Ghazi Khan, which is the nearest major medical facility. President Asif Ali Zardari and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi described the attack in Musakhail as “barbaric” and promised that the attackers would not escape justice. Uzma Bukhari, a spokeswoman for the Punjab government, referred to the incidents as “a serious problem” and urged the Balochistan provincial government to “intensify efforts to eliminate BLA terrorists.” Balochistan’s Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti also vowed that the attackers would be held accountable.
According to local media reports, 12 insurgents were killed by security forces in the last 24 hours. Recent past attacks in Balochistan have been claimed by the BLA, including the murder of seven barbers in Gwadar in May and the killings of several individuals abducted from a highway in April. Insurgent groups like the BLA have secessionist aims and often target workers from Punjab who come to the region for employment.