Pakistan presses crackdown after unprecedented Balochistan attacks
Pakistan’s security forces intensified operations against Baloch separatists after a weekend of unprecedented multi-city assaults in Balochistan, including Quetta and the Gwadar port, killing at least 31 civilians and 17 security personnel; authorities say 145 militants were killed in about 40 hours, and the Balochistan Liberation Army claimed responsibility for the attacks. The strikes targeted military installations, police stations, banks, and a prison in Mastung, with mobile internet suspended in several cities as security forces said they were conducting mop-up operations. Islamabad blames Afghan sanctuaries for militant safe havens, a claim Kabul denies, while analysts warn the insurgency has momentum and local support that complicates containment.
