- India rejects Pakistan's allegations linking it to Balochistan attacks
- At least 33 people killed in coordinated attacks across Balochistan province
- Separatists attacked hospitals, schools, banks, and markets in multiple districts
India has rejected Pakistan's "baseless" allegations linking the recent attacks in Balochistan, which killed dozens, with India. Authorities in Pakistan's southwestern province are battling one of the deadliest flare-ups in years, as insurgents in the resource-rich province bordering Iran and Afghanistan step up assaults on security forces, civilians, and infrastructure, killing at least 33 people.
In a statement on X, the Foreign Ministry said, New Delhi categorically rejects the baseless allegations made by Pakistan, which are nothing but its usual tactics to deflect attention from its own internal failings.
The response came after Pakistan's military and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi alleged that the attackers involved in Balochistan violence had India's support.
Reuters
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Foreign Minister spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal advised Islamabad to focus on addressing the long-standing demands of Balochistan residents, as opposed to the suppression of dissent and human rights violations in the region.
"Instead of parroting frivolous claims each time there is a violent incident, it would do better to focus on addressing long-standing demands of its people in the region. Its record of suppression, brutality, and violation of human rights is well known," he said.
Situation In Balochistan
On Saturday, attackers dressed as ordinary civilians entered hospitals, schools, banks, and markets before opening fire, Pakistan's junior interior minister Talal Chaudhry said.
"In each case, the attackers came in dressed as civilians and indiscriminately targeted ordinary people working in shops," he said, adding that attackers had used civilians as human shields.
Chief Minister of Balochistan Sarfraz Bugti said 17 law enforcement personnel and 31 civilians were killed in the separatist attacks. Pakistan's military said 92 separatists were killed on Saturday, while 41 were killed on Friday.
"We had intelligence reports that this kind of operation was being planned, and as a result of those, we started pre-operations a day before," Bugti said.
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The latest total is the highest number of separatists killed in such a short span since the insurgency intensified, Bugti said, without providing comparative figures.
Officials said the separatist assaults were launched almost simultaneously across Quetta, Gwadar, Mastung and Noshki districts, with armed men opening fire at security installations, including a Frontier Corps headquarters, attempting suicide bombings and briefly blocking roads in urban areas, prompting large-scale counter-operations by the army, police and counterterrorism units.
Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said that two of the attacks involved female perpetrators and separatists were increasingly targeting civilians, labourers and low-income communities.
Credit: BLA on X
The military said security forces had repelled attempts by attackers to seize control of any city or strategic installation.
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Separatist Group Takes Responsibility
The separatist group Baloch Liberation Army claimed responsibility for the attacks, saying it had launched a coordinated operation dubbed Herof, or "black storm", targeting security forces across the province. The group claimed it had killed 84 members of Pakistan's security forces and captured 18 others. NDTV could not independently verify the claim.
Balochistan, Pakistan's largest and poorest province, has faced a decades-long insurgency led by ethnic Baloch separatists seeking greater autonomy and a larger share of its natural resources.
