Pakistan kills 75 insurgents in Balochistan after 18 abducted police officers found blindfolded, shot dead
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who visited Quetta on Thursday, met families of the victims and vowed that those responsible would be brought to justice.
Mourners gather around the ambulances carrying the coffins of police officers, who were abducted earlier this week and subsequently killed by insurgents, as they hold a sit-in protest against their killing at a roadside in Quetta, Pakistan, July 9, 2026. (AP Photo)
Pakistani security forces have killed 75 suspected insurgents during days-long operations in the restive southwestern province of Balochistan, authorities said on Friday, after one of the deadliest recent attacks on police triggered a large-scale military crackdown.
The operations, backed by military helicopters and involving the Pakistan Army, Frontier Corps and police, began after militants from the banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) launched coordinated attacks earlier this week, killing police personnel and civilians, news agency Associated Press reported, citing sources.
The escalation comes amid growing concerns over the expanding reach of separatist groups in Balochistan, a strategically important province that borders Iran and Afghanistan and is central to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
How did the violence begin?
According to the Balochistan government, the violence began late Monday when dozens of BLA militants attacked a police post near Mangi Dam, a key reservoir that supplies water to Quetta and surrounding areas.
Nine police officers and 15 militants were killed in the initial assault. Authorities said the attackers also abducted 18 police personnel, whose bodies were later recovered from nearby mountains. Officials said the officers had been blindfolded and shot dead.
🚨 The joint “Operation Sha’ban” by the Pakistan Army, FC Balochistan, and the police is underway, according to security sources, a total of 79 terrorists have been eliminated in operations since July 5. pic.twitter.com/GYeWyQoaEx
— Wajiha Tamseel Mirza (@WajihaTamseel) July 10, 2026
Pakistan launches large-scale operation
Following the attack, Pakistani security forces launched coordinated operations across the region with air and ground support.
Officials said 75 insurgents were killed during the crackdown, though independent verification of the military’s claims was not immediately available.
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Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who visited Quetta on Thursday, met families of the victims and vowed that those responsible would be brought to justice. The government also announced compensation of 11.1 million Pakistani rupees (around $39,000) for the family of each police officer killed.
Why is Balochistan important?
Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest but least-populated province, has witnessed a decades-long separatist insurgency led by ethnic Baloch groups demanding greater autonomy or independence.
The province is also home to key China-backed infrastructure projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), making it strategically important for Islamabad and Beijing. Militants have repeatedly targeted Pakistani security forces as well as Chinese interests in the region.
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