Authorities in Pakistan reported Monday that insurgents had killed more than 40 civilians and security personnel in separate overnight attacks across the turbulent southwestern province of Baluchistan.
The violence started late Sunday, with armed men blocking an interprovincial highway in the Musakhail district and killing at least 23 passengers after forcing them off multiple buses and trucks, the authorities said.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ayub Achakzai provided details of the incident, stating that armed men had blocked the inter-provincial highway to carry out the massacre.
Police and Levies forces quickly reached the site to repel the attack, while rescuers transported the deceased and injured to the hospital, he added.
Separately, authorities reported that insurgents had also carried out hit-and-run raids against police and military targets elsewhere in the sparsely populated province Sunday night.
At least 14 soldiers, four police officers, and five civilians, including a pro-government tribal elder, were killed, the Pakistani military and local officials reported.
Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind revealed that militants launched a coordinated assault on multiple (two to three) fronts but were met with fierce resistance from security forces and law enforcement agencies (LEAs).
The Musakhel incident highlights the ongoing security challenges Balochistan faces.
Pakistan has witnessed a spike in terrorism-related incidents since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021. Most terror activities are reported in provinces bordering the neighboring country — Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
