Pakistan reports 10 militants killed in clashes, 3 civilians dead in car bomb

Pakistani security forces engaged in clashes with militants in the southwestern province of Balochistan, resulting in the deaths of 10 insurgents. Concurrently, a car bomb detonated prematurely in the Surab district, killing three civilians and eight militants who were rigging the explosives. These operations are part of a government offensive against groups identified as "Fitna Al Hindustan," a designation Pakistan uses for Baloch separatist organizations it alleges are supported by India, a claim New Delhi denies. The military reported that two soldiers sustained injuries during the militant clashes. Balochistan, Pakistan's largest and least populated province, has a history of separatist insurgency, primarily led by the outlawed ethnic Baloch Liberation Army, which has targeted security forces and Chinese interests. The region has also experienced attacks by the Pakistani Taliban, an allied group of the Afghan Taliban.