US backs Pakistan after coordinated terror attacks kill nearly 200 in Balochistan

Dubai: The United States on Sunday strongly condemned a wave of coordinated terrorist attacks across Pakistan’s Balochistan province and reaffirmed its support for Islamabad, after security forces killed at least 145 militants in nearly 40 hours of operations following assaults that left 17 security personnel and 31 civilians dead.

US Charge d’Affaires Natalie Baker said Washington stood in solidarity with Pakistan after the January 31 attacks claimed by the Balochistan Liberation Army, which the US has designated a foreign terrorist organisation.

“The United States strongly condemns these acts of terrorist violence against security personnel and civilians in Balochistan,” she said on X, extending condolences to victims’ families and adding that the US remained a “steadfast partner” of Pakistan in efforts to ensure peace and stability.

‘Coordinated attacks across 12 towns’

Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti confirmed that militants carried out coordinated assaults across at least 12 towns, including Quetta, Gwadar, Mastung, Nushki, Panjgur and Pasni, Geo News and Dawn reported.

“145 terrorists have been killed and their bodies are in the custody of authorities,” Bugti said at a press conference in Quetta.

He added that the attackers targeted civilians as well as security installations, revealing that in Gwadar alone five women and three children from a Baloch family were killed in a labour colony.

“Our blood is not cheap,” Bugti said. “We will not surrender even for a second. They can destabilise but cannot take a single inch of our country.”

Intelligence-led operations and foiled attacks

Bugti said authorities had received intelligence about the planned attacks and launched pre-emptive operations a day earlier, Dawn said.

Security forces, he said, prevented militants from breaching sensitive areas, including the Red Zone in Quetta, and foiled an attempt to ram a vehicle into a key target.

“Our soldiers confronted the terrorists bravely. Nushki has now been completely cleared,” he said, announcing a high state award for an injured officer.

Militants also targeted Safe City surveillance cameras in Quetta, prompting authorities to expand CCTV coverage across eight cities.

The chief minister stressed that operations were limited and intelligence-based, rejecting claims of heavy-handed force.

“We could have used mortars and heavy firepower, but terrorists hide among civilians. We did not want innocent lives harmed,” he said.

Civilians used as human shields

Bugti accused militants of blending into civilian populations and even using children as human shields.

“At some places they brought 11-year-old children with them,” he said, adding that attackers had attempted to storm the PTC building in Quetta.

He questioned how groups claiming to fight in the name of Baloch identity could kill Baloch women and children.

“A terrorist has no identity. A terrorist is only a terrorist,” Bugti said.

Afghan link alleged

The chief minister said intelligence reports indicated Afghan nationals were operating alongside militants and that weapons from the Afghanistan war were circulating freely.

“Today, Bashir Zeb, Rehman Gul and Allah Nazar are present in Afghanistan,” he claimed, adding that Afghan territory was being used as a base against Pakistan.

“Terrorists have no nationality or tribe,” he said, vowing relentless operations to neutralise militant networks.

Rejection of past reconciliation approach

Bugti criticised previous reconciliation policies with militants, calling them damaging to the state.

“What kind of identity is this where banks are robbed and people are killed?” he asked, reaffirming support for Pakistan’s National Action Plan as the country’s most crucial counterterrorism framework after the Constitution.

He warned there would be no sympathy for the families of slain militants.

“We have a solution, and we will bring these people to justice,” he said, adding the government was prepared to fight terrorism “for a thousand years if required.”

US stands with Pakistan

In her statement, Baker stressed that the Pakistani people deserved to live free from violence and fear.

“The United States remains a steadfast partner of Pakistan in its efforts to ensure peace and stability,” she said.

The attacks and subsequent crackdown mark one of the deadliest episodes of militant violence in Balochistan in recent years, underscoring the ongoing security challenges in the strategically important province.