Pakistani security forces killed about two dozen militants overnight in the southwest, raising the militant death toll to 177 in 48 hours following coordinated attacks that killed at least 33 people, mostly civilians, officials said Monday.
Police, backed by the military, have been conducting these raids in several areas against members of the outlawed Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) since early Saturday, after nearly 200 militants in small groups carried out simultaneous suicide bombings and gun attacks on police stations, civilian homes and security facilities across the province.
Analysts say the scale of militant deaths in the past 48 hours is the highest in decades.
The weekend attacks claimed by BLA killed at least 18 civilians and 15 members of the security forces, drawing widespread condemnation from political leaders across Pakistan, including members of the party led by imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
On Monday, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, in a statement,t praised the security forces for killing an additional 22 insurgents. He described those killed as "Indian-backed terrorists." However, he offered no evidence, and there was no immediate response from New Delhi.
