Security forces kill 145 militants after 'black storm' attacks left 50 dead in Pakistan

The southwestern province, which shares borders with Iran and Afghanistan, is experiencing one of its most severe outbreaks of violence in recent years.

The banned separatist organisation took responsibility for the attacks, describing them as a coordinated offensive codenamed Herof, meaning "black storm", directed at security personnel throughout the region.

Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti confirmed that military forces killed 92 insurgents on Saturday, with an additional 41 eliminated the previous day during pre-emptive operations launched after intelligence indicated an imminent assault.

Assailants wearing civilian clothing infiltrated medical facilities, educational institutions, financial establishments and commercial areas on Saturday before launching their attacks, according to junior interior minister Talal Chaudhry.

"In each case, the attackers came in dressed as civilians and indiscriminately targeted ordinary people working in shops," he stated, noting that militants had deployed civilians as protective shields.

The violence erupted almost simultaneously across four districts: Quetta, Gwadar, Mastung and Noshki.

Armed groups opened fire on security installations, including a Frontier Corps headquarters.

Suicide bombings were also attempted, while militants temporarily obstructed roads in urban centres.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif revealed that two of the assaults involved female attackers, adding that insurgents were increasingly directing their violence towards civilians, workers and low-income communities.

The attacks resulted in the deaths of 17 law enforcement officers and 31 civilians, Mr Bugti confirmed.

"We had intelligence reports that this kind of operation was being planned, and as a result of those, we started pre-operations a day before," the chief minister explained.

He described the militant death toll as the highest recorded over such a brief period since the insurgency escalated, though he did not provide comparative statistics.

The provincial capital bore visible scars from the violence, with charred vehicles outside a police station, doors riddled with bullet holes, and streets cordoned off with yellow tape.

Security forces intensified patrols and imposed movement restrictions across affected areas.

Private security guard Jamil Ahmed Mashwani, standing outside a damaged shop, recounted how attackers struck shortly after midday.

"They hit me on my face and head," he said.

The Baloch Liberation Army claimed to have killed 84 Pakistani security personnel and captured 18 others, though these figures could not be independently verified.

Pakistan's military attributed the attacks to "Indian-sponsored militants", an accusation New Delhi firmly rejected on Sunday.

"We categorically reject the baseless allegations made by Pakistan," Indian Foreign Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal stated.

He also urged Islamabad to address "long-standing demands of its people in the region" instead.

Washington condemned the violence, with US Charge d'Affaires Natalie Baker describing the incidents as acts of terrorism and expressing solidarity with Pakistan.

The Baloch Liberation Army holds designation as a foreign terrorist organisation by the United States.

Balochistan, Pakistan's largest yet poorest province, has endured decades of insurgency by ethnic Baloch separatists demanding greater autonomy and a fairer share of the region's natural resources.