Five suspected separatists killed in counterterrorism operation in southwest Pakistan

Policeman stands guard in Quetta, Pakistan, on February 5, 2024. (AFP/File)

• A CTD official says the intelligence-based raid targeted BLA militants in Balochistan’s Duki district
• Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti praises the action, vows to foil conspiracies to destabilize the province

QUETTA: The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) in southwestern Balochistan killed five suspected militants in an intelligence-based operation in the Duki district of the province on Saturday, confirmed one of its officials, as the region continues to witness a spike in separatist violence.
The raid was conducted by CTD Balochistan with support from other law enforcement agencies in the Dhabar area of Duki. According to the CTD official, the slain militants were affiliated with the banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a separatist group that has frequently targeted security forces and state infrastructure in the province.
“The latest action against militants was carried out on an intelligence basis, and the bodies of the militants were shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital Duki,” the CTD official said on condition of anonymity while confirming the number of the dead militants.
The BLA was designated a terrorist organization by the United States in 2019 and has long led a separatist insurgency in the resource-rich region.
Militants affiliated with the group have also attacked Chinese nationals and projects linked to the multibillion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Following the raid, Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti praised the CTD action, pointing out that the state would continue to confront militancy with full force.
“Every conspiracy to destabilize Balochistan will be foiled,” he said in a statement issued by his office, adding that any facilitators of such armed separatist groups would also be brought to justice.
Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind described the operation as part of the ongoing counter-insurgency efforts in the province.
Balochistan has seen a spike in separatist violence in recent years. Last month, BLA militants hijacked a passenger train in the Bolan district, holding hundreds of passengers hostage for about 36 hours.
Duki, the area where the CTD operation took place, has also been prone to violence. In October last year, at least 21 miners were killed in an attack in the area, where gunmen used rocket launchers and grenades to storm coal mine facilities. Pakistan’s army chief General Asim Munir vowed this week to defeat separatist groups in Balochistan, saying such elements would never succeed in their efforts to disintegrate the country.
Separatist militants accuse the government and military of exploiting Balochistan’s natural resources, but the authorities maintain the Pakistani state has been investing in infrastructure and development to bring stability and growth to the province.