Pakistani security forces continued large-scale operations across Balochistan on Sunday after a wave of coordinated attacks by Baloch separatist militants left more than 190 people dead in just two days. The casualties include civilians, security personnel, and militants, according to provincial authorities, as Islamabad accused India of backing the attackers—a charge New Delhi has firmly rejected.

Troops were deployed across multiple districts after militants targeted banks, jails, police stations, and military installations, killing at least 31 civilians and 17 security personnel, Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti said. Security forces claimed to have killed at least 145 militants, including over 40 during encounters on Friday alone. Mobile internet services remained suspended across the province, with road traffic disrupted and train services halted.

Fear gripped the provincial capital, Quetta, where explosions earlier this week brought daily life to a standstill. Markets remained shut, and residents stayed indoors. “Anyone who leaves home has no certainty of returning safe and sound. There is constant fear,” a local shopkeeper told AFP, reflecting widespread anxiety among residents.

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Addressing a press conference, Bugti said all affected districts had been cleared and vowed relentless action against the attackers. “We are chasing them. We will not let them go so easily. Our blood is not that cheap,” he said, adding that security forces would pursue militants to their hideouts. The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), designated a terrorist organisation by the United States, claimed responsibility for the attacks, saying it targeted military and administrative installations.

Pakistan’s interior minister, Mohsin Naqvi, and defence minister, Khawaja Asif, alleged Indian involvement without presenting evidence. India responded sharply, categorically rejecting the accusations as “baseless” and calling them Pakistan’s “usual tactics to deflect attention from its own internal failings.” The Ministry of External Affairs urged Islamabad to focus instead on addressing long-standing grievances in the region, citing Pakistan’s record of suppression and human rights violations in Balochistan.

The decades-old Baloch insurgency stems from allegations of political marginalisation and economic exploitation in Pakistan’s largest and poorest province, which is rich in gas and mineral resources. Separatist groups accuse the central government of extracting wealth without benefiting local communities, a conflict that continues to fuel instability despite repeated military crackdowns.

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