QUETTA: Residents in the southwestern Pakistani city of Quetta were in shock and feared more violence, they said on Sunday, following deadly separatist attacks that killed nearly 200 people, including militants, security personnel and civilians, in the Balochistan province.
Authorities in Balochistan are battling one of the deadliest flare-ups in years as ethnic Baloch separatists step up assaults on security forces, civilians and infrastructure in the resource-rich province bordering Iran and Afghanistan.
Separatist militants carrying assault rifles stormed banks, jails, police stations and military installations in a string of coordinated attacks in several cities of Balochistan, including the provincial capital of Quetta, early Saturday.
Officials said the attacks killed 31 civilians and 17 security personnel, while 145 militants were killed in skirmishes and follow-up operations. The assaults were claimed by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) separatist group.
“The fear and anger are palpable in the city’s atmosphere following yesterday’s attacks at various locations in Quetta and other cities of Balochistan,” Zain Ali, a resident of Quetta’s Brewery Road, told Arab News on Sunday.
