Pakistan military says insurgents killed 18 abducted policemen and 11 soldiers in separate attacks

Military spokesperson Lt. Gen. Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry stated that the total death toll since Monday had reached 42, primarily soldiers and police officers. He also reported that security forces killed 54 insurgents during the same period.

Chaudhry explained that the 18 officers had been held captive since late Monday, following an attack by dozens of militants on a police post in Ziarat district, Balochistan, which resulted in the deaths of nine other officers. The attackers were identified as belonging to the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), a group designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the United States in 2019. Pakistan alleges the BLA is backed by India, a claim India denies.

The 11 soldiers were killed when insurgents ambushed their vehicle on a highway in Balochistan, according to Chaudhry. The BLA has claimed responsibility for a series of attacks targeting security forces in the province, where the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan also has a significant presence.