By The Binocular Correspondant
Islamabad, Pakistan – A wave of coordinated armed attacks swept through Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province, leaving at least 38 people dead and several others injured.
The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) has claimed responsibility for one of the attacks.
The violence began late Sunday night in the remote area of Rarasham, Musakhail district, where armed men ambushed several buses and trucks, killing 23 people and setting 10 vehicles ablaze.
The attackers, who reportedly checked passengers’ IDs before opening fire, escaped into the night.
In a separate incident, nine people, including four police officers and five passersby, were gunned down in Qalat district.
Additionally, six people were killed in a railway track explosion in Bolan, while a police station in Mastung came under attack, and several vehicles were torched in Gwadar city.
The BLA, a separatist group seeking independence for Balochistan, claimed responsibility for one of the attacks, stating that their fighters targeted military personnel traveling in civilian clothes.
However, Pakistan’s Ministry of Interior disputed this claim, saying the victims were innocent civilians.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the attacks as “barbaric” and vowed to bring the perpetrators to justice.
The Punjab provincial government also denounced the violence and urged the Balochistan provincial government to step up efforts to eliminate BLA terrorists.
Security forces responded swiftly, killing 12 rebel fighters in the past 24 hours, according to local media reports.
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The attacks are the latest in a string of violent incidents in Balochistan, where separatist groups have been waging a low-level insurgency for years.
The BLA has claimed responsibility for several previous attacks, including the killing of seven barbers in Gwadar in May and the April killings of several people abducted from a highway.
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