Pakistan says 48 killed in coordinated attacks in Balochistan

A wave of coordinated gun and bomb attacks across Pakistan’s south-western Balochistan province has left 31 civilians and 17 security personnel dead, according to Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti.

As reported by Azernews, security forces launched counter-operations in response, killing at least 145 attackers, Bugti reported. Earlier, the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the assaults, alleging that dozens of Pakistani soldiers had been targeted.

The violence marks one of the bloodiest days in years for Balochistan, a region long plagued by a separatist insurgency and chronic instability.

Pakistan has accused India of backing the BLA, an allegation New Delhi has repeatedly dismissed.