Pakistan Says 92 Militants Killed Following Attacks in Balochistan

Reuters

Army soldiers gather at the site, following millitant attacks, in Quetta, Pakistan, 31 January 2026.

At least 92 militants were killed on Saturday during clashes with Pakistan’s security forces across several cities in the southwestern province of Balochistan, the Pakistani military said.

In a statement, the military said 15 security personnel were also killed during clearance operations. Militants additionally targeted civilians in multiple areas, killing at least 18 people, including women and children.

The attacks came a day after the military reported killing 41 militants in separate operations in Balochistan, a province bordering Iran and Afghanistan that has been plagued by a decades-long separatist insurgency.

The banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the assaults, saying they were launched simultaneously across the province. The group alleged it had killed 84 members of the security forces and said the operation lasted for 15 hours.

Pakistan’s military media wing, ISPR, said the attacks were carried out by militants backed by terrorist ringleaders operating from outside Pakistan, adding that security forces had prevented any attempt to seize control of cities or strategic installations.

"Intelligence reports have unequivocally confirmed that the attacks were orchestrated and directed by terrorist ringleaders operating from outside Pakistan, who were in direct communication with the terrorists throughout the incident," the statement said.

According to the military, attacks were reported in Quetta, Mastung, Noshki, Dalbandin, Kharan, Panjgur, Tump, Gwadar and Pasni.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the attacks and praised security forces for repelling them, saying dozens of militants had been killed.

Security officials said armed men launched assaults in several urban areas, including the provincial capital Quetta and the port city of Gwadar, prompting a response from the army, police and counterterrorism units. Hospitals in several districts were placed on emergency alert.

In Gwadar, militants attacked a camp housing migrant workers, killing 11 people, including women and children, a senior police official said. Security forces later killed six militants during the response.

Authorities also reported a critical situation in Noshki, where militants abducted the district’s top civil administrator. A video circulating on social media showed him claiming to be in militant custody, though this could not be independently verified.

While roads were briefly blocked and an explosion was reported near a high-security area in Quetta, officials later said the situation had been brought under control. Clearance operations were continuing.

Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest but poorest province, has long been affected by an insurgency led by ethnic Baloch militant groups. Pakistan has repeatedly accused foreign actors of backing the violence.

Source: Reuters



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