Pakistan Military Declares End to Major Operation Against Baloch Separatists

QUETTA, Feb. 6: Pakistan’s military on Thursday announced the conclusion of a week-long counterinsurgency operation in Balochistan following coordinated attacks by Baloch separatist fighters that paralyzed large parts of the province.

The operation, launched after militants stormed more than a dozen locations across Balochistan, involved hostage-taking, bombings, and prolonged gun battles with security forces. The attacks, claimed by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), marked one of the group’s largest and most organized offensives in recent years.

Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest yet poorest province, was brought to a near standstill last Saturday when BLA fighters launched a coordinated dawn assault. Militants reportedly entered schools, banks, markets, and security installations across multiple districts.

Scenes from the provincial capital Quetta and surrounding areas showed damaged and destroyed buildings, with debris and charred concrete scattered across streets. Residents described widespread fear and disruption in daily life.

“The situation is under control now, but people remain deeply concerned about their safety,” said Quetta resident Nasrullah Khan, 51.

In a statement, the military said it had “successfully concluded” its counteroffensive, known as Operation Radd Al-Fitna 1, claiming it thwarted multiple attacks, dismantled sleeper cells, and seized weapons and ammunition.

However, the BLA rejected the military’s claim, stating that its own campaign dubbed Operation Herof (Black Storm) was still ongoing and describing Islamabad’s announcement as “propaganda.”

According to the military, 216 militants have been killed in targeted operations carried out since Jan. 29. It said the fighting resulted in the deaths of 22 security personnel and 36 civilians. A senior official from the provincial Home Ministry provided higher figures, reporting 45 security personnel and 40 civilian fatalities.

The BLA, without providing evidence, claimed it had killed 310 soldiers during its campaign.

Security officials said militants briefly seized government buildings and police stations in several areas and took control of the desert town of Nushki for three days before being pushed back by security forces. Helicopters and drones were reportedly deployed to drive fighters out of the town.

“A combing operation is still underway in some areas, including parts of Quetta,” said Shahid Rind, an aide to the provincial chief minister, during a press briefing. He added that repair work was ongoing on a major highway linking Quetta to key copper mining areas after it was damaged by explosions.

Mineral-rich Balochistan borders Iran and Afghanistan and hosts major Chinese-backed projects, including the Gwadar deepwater port. The province has been plagued by a decades-long insurgency led by ethnic Baloch groups demanding greater autonomy and a larger share of local resources.

Pakistan has accused India of backing the recent attacks, an allegation New Delhi has strongly denied. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said India had “intensified terrorism in Pakistan through proxies,” a charge India’s foreign ministry dismissed, urging Islamabad instead to address long-standing grievances in the region.

The renewed violence risks heightening tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors, who clashed in their most serious confrontation in decades earlier this year.