Balochistan Militants Target Civilians and Security Forces in Deadly Overnight Attacks

At least eight people were killed in coordinated attacks across Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province, with separatist militants targeting ethnic outsiders and security personnel in a brazen overnight assault. The violence erupted as armed groups established illegal checkpoints along major highways, stopping passenger buses to identify and execute non-local travelers before attacking security forces.  

According to provincial police officials who spoke anonymously to Agence France-Presse (AFP), militants conducted systematic attacks in multiple districts, including the strategic Gwadar region where China’s multi-billion dollar infrastructure projects are concentrated. “Dozens of militants stopped passenger buses and identified non-local travelers,” revealed one senior officer, confirming five civilian deaths and one security personnel fatality in the ethnic-based killings. The coastal town of Pasni, a hub for interprovincial workers, emerged as a key attack site.  

This latest violence underscores the deteriorating security situation in resource-rich Balochistan, where separatist groups have escalated attacks against Pakistan’s state institutions and non-Baloch civilians. The militants’ ability to establish highway checkpoints exposes critical gaps in security for vital transport routes, particularly concerning Balochistan’s central role in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Analysts note the attacks deliberately coincide with increased Chinese economic activity in the region.  

As Pakistan’s military intensifies counterinsurgency operations, Thursday’s attacks reveal insurgents’ evolving tactics to sow ethnic division and undermine economic development. With no group immediately claiming responsibility, the violence threatens to exacerbate tensions between Baloch nationalists and the federal government while testing Islamabad’s ability to protect both its citizens and foreign investments in the volatile province. The targeted killings risk triggering broader inter-ethnic conflicts that could further destabilize the region