Pakistan deploys helicopters, drones to end standoff with Baloch rebels

Hundreds person been killed successful the southwestern Balochistan state amid a surge successful rebel attacks.

Pakistan has deployed helicopters and drones to instrumentality power of a municipality successful the mineral-rich occidental state of Balochistan from rebels amid ongoing warring that has near dozens of information officials and civilians dead.

Police said connected Wednesday that they secured the godforsaken municipality of Nushki aft a three-day battle, the Reuters quality bureau reports. Seven officers were killed successful the fighting.

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“More troops were sent to Nushki,” a information authoritative said. “Helicopters and drones were utilized against the militants.”

The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) launched a bid of attacks successful the southwestern state connected Saturday, storming banks, schools, markets and information installations crossed Pakistan’s largest and poorest province.

“I thought the extortion and walls of ‍my location were going to stroke up,” said Robina Ali, a housewife who lives successful the provincial superior of Quetta, adjacent a main administrative gathering wherever determination was a almighty greeting blast.

A elder authoritative told the AFP quality bureau connected Wednesday that “197 terrorists person been killed successful the ongoing counterterrorism operations.”

Authorities person imposed information restrictions connected the province, which borders Afghanistan and Iran, banning nationalist gatherings and demonstrations.

Funerals of immoderate of the victims are owed to instrumentality spot connected Wednesday afternoon.

The BLA said connected Tuesday it had killed 280 soldiers during what it called its Operation Herof, which BLA person Bashir Zeb said was a follow-up to coordinated attacks successful August 2024 that near astatine slightest 74 dead.

Authorities said astatine slightest 50 radical were killed successful the coordinated attacks by the BLA.

Pakistan has been dealing with a separatist question successful Balochistan for decades. Violence has surged successful caller years, with equipped groups saying they are resisting exploitation successful the resource-rich province. The country is affluent successful coal, gold, copper and gas, which generates gross for the national government.

The groups regularly people information forces and person besides attacked civilians, including Chinese radical moving connected projects successful the area.

In 2025, separatists prompted a two-day siege successful which dozens were killed aft they attacked a train with hundreds of passengers connected board.

“Over the past 12 months, information forces successful Balochistan person sent much than 700 terrorists to hell, with astir 70 terrorists eliminated successful conscionable the past 2 days alone,” Balochistan’s main minister, Sarfraz Bugti, told reporters connected Sunday. “These attacks cannot weaken our resoluteness against terrorism.”

He accused the fighters of being backed by India and Afghanistan, an allegation which New Delhi and Kabul deny.