Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif vowed a strong response on Tuesday following a series of terrorist attacks that killed more than 60 people.
“There is no room for weakness. We must proceed with firm resolve,” Sharif stated during a Federal Cabinet meeting. He emphasized that the terrorists aimed to halt Pakistan’s progress, referencing key projects under the multibillion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
The coordinated assaults occurred on Monday in the southwestern province of Balochistan, targeting both security forces and civilians. The attacks resulted in at least 61 fatalities, including 19 soldiers. In retaliation, the Pakistani military reportedly killed 21 rebels.
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These attacks coincided with a visit by a high-ranking Chinese general to Islamabad, where he was engaged in meetings with Pakistani civil and military officials. The Baloch Liberation Army, BLA, the group behind the attacks, released details later on Monday. They claimed responsibility for the assaults, including a suicide bombing by a female attacker at a military compound. The BLA stated that seven suicide bombers and over 800 fighters participated in the attacks, which they codenamed ‘Herof’ or ‘Destructive Winds’.
Balochistan, a region bordering Afghanistan and Iran, has been a longstanding center of insurgency, partly due to local discontent with China’s extensive investments under the Belt and Road Initiative.
The recent attacks are the deadliest in Pakistan in several months amid a rise in violence from the Taliban and nationalist rebels.
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