More than 120 people were killed on Saturday in a series of coordinated militant attacks across Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province, marking one of the deadliest episodes of separatist violence in the region in recent years.
The assaults targeted railway stations, security checkpoints, and civilian infrastructure across multiple districts in what Pakistani security officials described as a carefully orchestrated campaign. The attacks bore the hallmarks of the Balochistan Liberation Army, a separatist group that has waged an insurgency against the Pakistani state for decades.
According to The Guardian, the violence began before dawn when armed militants launched simultaneous strikes on at least seven locations. The deadliest attack occurred at a railway junction in Bolan district, where explosives demolished a passenger train, killing dozens of civilians. Security forces engaged in extended firefights with attackers at multiple sites, with casualties mounting throughout the day.
Provincial officials confirmed that among the dead were security personnel, railway workers, and civilians, though exact breakdowns remained difficult to verify as rescue operations continued into the evening. Dozens more were reported wounded and transported to hospitals in Quetta, the provincial capital.
The scale and coordination of Saturday's attacks represent a significant escalation by separatist forces. Balochistan has long been Pakistan's most restive province, rich in natural resources but marked by deep grievances over perceived economic exploitation and political marginalization by the central government in Islamabad.
The BLA and related groups have intensified their campaign in recent years, increasingly targeting infrastructure projects linked to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor—a vast network of roads, railways, and energy facilities that forms the flagship of Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative. Separatists view these projects as state-sponsored resource extraction that benefits outsiders while impoverishing the local Baloch population.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attacks and vowed a "decisive response" to what he termed terrorism. In a televised address, he pledged increased security deployments to Balochistan and promised that those responsible would face justice.
However, such pledges have been made repeatedly following previous attacks without resolving the underlying drivers of the insurgency. The province remains severely underdeveloped despite its resource wealth, and heavy-handed military operations have often fueled resentment rather than quelling unrest.
For China, which has invested billions of dollars in Balochistan infrastructure, Saturday's attacks underscore the security challenges threatening its economic ambitions in the region. Beijing has previously pressed Islamabad to ensure better protection for Chinese workers and projects, several of which have been targeted in recent years.
Security analysts note that the BLA's tactical sophistication has grown, with recent attacks demonstrating improved coordination and weapons capabilities. The group's ability to strike simultaneously across wide geographic areas suggests either expanded operational capacity or deteriorating state control in rural Balochistan.
As rescue operations continued, Pakistani security forces launched search operations in surrounding areas, though officials acknowledged that most attackers likely melted back into the population or fled to remote mountain regions where state authority is tenuous.
The violence casts a shadow over Pakistan's broader security situation at a time when the country also faces economic crisis and political instability. For residents of Balochistan, Saturday's bloodshed is another grim chapter in a conflict that has claimed thousands of lives over decades with no resolution in sight.
