Pakistan has been fighting a separatist movement in Balochistan for decades, where rebels attack state forces, foreign citizens and non-locals.
Posted on January 31, 2026
At least eight police officers have been killed by suspected separatists who launched “coordinated” attacks in several cities in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province, officials said.
Several police stations in the provincial capital of Quetta were attacked by suspected ethnic Baloch gunmen in an attack that began around 3 a.m. local time (01:00 GMT) on Sunday.
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Pakistan has been fighting a separatist movement in Balochistan for decades, where rebels attack state forces, foreign citizens and non-locals in the mineral-rich southwestern province that borders Afghanistan and Iran.
“Coordinated gun and suicide attacks are being carried out across Balochistan, mainly in Quetta, Pasni, Mastung, Nushki and Gwadar districts,” a senior Quetta-based security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, told AFP news agency.
The attacks “failed due to poor planning and rapid collapse under an effective security response,” the official added, without commenting on the death toll.
Some members of the Pakistani security forces have reportedly been kidnapped. Internet and train services have been suspended, while a security operation is carried out.
The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), the most active separatist group in the province, claimed responsibility for the attacks, AFP reported. The group claims to attack military installations and police and civil administration officials during gun attacks and suicide bombings.
The Pakistani government has not yet commented on the BLA claim.
Saturday’s attacks came a day after the military said it had killed 41 armed fighters in two separate operations in Balochistan, Pakistan’s poorest province, despite an abundance of untapped natural resources.
Baloch separatists have stepped up attacks against Pakistanis from neighboring provinces working in the region in recent years, as well as foreign energy companies they believe are exploiting the province’s wealth.
Last year, ethnic Baloch separatists attacked a train with 450 passengers on board, sparking a two-day siege during which dozens of people were killed.
