Mineral-rich Balochistan borders Iran and Afghanistan and is home to Beijing’s investment in the Gwadar deepwater port and other projects
Reuters
Karachi, Updated At : 02:11 PM Feb 05, 2026 IST
Pakistan’s military said on Thursday it had concluded a week-long security operation against separatists in Balochistan, reporting the killing of 216 militants in targeted offensives across the troubled southwestern province.
Balochistan, the country’s largest and poorest province, was brought to a virtual standstill on Saturday when the separatist Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) launched coordinated attacks on schools, banks, markets and security installations in one of its largest operations to date.
The military said 22 security personnel and 36 civilians were killed in the attacks.
The BLA’s strikes in more than a dozen locations began after the army launched its “intelligence driven” Radd Al-Fitna 1 (countering chaos) operation, which the military said started on January 29.
“Through meticulous planning, actionable intelligence, and seamless joint execution Pakistan’s security forces and law enforcement agencies with support of intelligence agencies under Operation Radd-ul-Fitna-1 responded with precision and resolve,” the army said in a statement, adding that 216 militants had been killed across Balochistan since the operation began.
Security officials and witnesses said insurgents seized government buildings and police stations in several areas, including the desert town of Nushki, which was occupied for three days before being retaken. Helicopters and drones were deployed to Nushki to end the siege.
Balochistan has long faced a decades‑old insurgency led by ethnic Baloch separatists seeking greater autonomy and a larger share of the province’s natural resources.
