Pakistan says security forces killed 75 insurgents after BLA militants attacked a police post in Balochistan.
Eighteen abducted police officers were later found blindfolded and shot dead, officials said.
The crackdown comes as separatist violence escalates in Pakistan's strategically important Balochistan province.
Pakistan Says 75 Insurgents Killed In Balochistan
Security forces launched a large-scale operation after BLA militants attacked a police post near Quetta, abducted 18 officers and allegedly killed them. The military says 75 insurgents were killed, though the claims remain unverified.
Summary
Pakistani authorities said security forces killed 75 insurgents in days-long operations in Balochistan after militants abducted and killed 18 police officers in one of the deadliest recent attacks on police in the province.
The crackdown followed coordinated attacks by the banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) earlier this week and comes amid growing concerns over the expanding reach of separatist groups in Balochistan. The province, which borders Iran and Afghanistan, is strategically important because it hosts key projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a network of Chinese-backed infrastructure projects. Militants have repeatedly targeted Pakistani security forces and Chinese interests in the province.
According to the Balochistan government, the violence began late on Monday when dozens of BLA militants attacked a police post near Mangi Dam, a key reservoir supplying water to Quetta and surrounding areas.
Nine police officers and 15 militants were killed in the initial assault. The attackers also abducted 18 police personnel, whose bodies were later recovered from nearby mountains. Officials said the officers had been blindfolded and shot dead.
Pakistani authorities launched coordinated operations across the region with air and ground support. The campaign involved the Pakistan Army, Frontier Corps and police, backed by military helicopters.
Authorities said 75 insurgents were killed during the operations, although the military's claims could not be independently verified.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited Quetta on Thursday, where he met the families of the victims and vowed that "those responsible would be brought to justice."
The government also announced compensation of 11.1 million Pakistani rupees (around $39,000) for the family of each police officer killed.
Balochistan is Pakistan's largest but least-populated province and has witnessed a decades-long separatist insurgency led by ethnic Baloch groups demanding greater autonomy or independence. Militants have repeatedly targeted Pakistani security forces as well as Chinese interests in the province.
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