Pakistani security forces reported that insurgents killed 18 police officers who had been abducted earlier this week, while 11 soldiers were also killed in a separate ambush in southwestern Pakistan on Wednesday, according to military officials. These incidents marked a significant escalation of violence in Balochistan province, a region long plagued by separatist and militant activity.

The military’s spokesperson, Lieutenant General Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry, stated that the total number of security personnel killed since Monday has reached 42. He added that during the same period, security forces had conducted multiple operations resulting in the deaths of 54 insurgents.

Chaudhry detailed that the 18 police officers had been held captive since late Monday after militants attacked a police post in the Ziarat district of Balochistan, where nine other officers were also killed. The military attributed the attack to a group it refers to as “Fitna al-Khawarij,” a label used for the banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA). Pakistani authorities accuse India of supporting the BLA, a charge that New Delhi denies.

Meanwhile, the 11 soldiers killed Wednesday died when militants ambushed their vehicle in Balochistan, a province known for ongoing conflict involving multiple insurgent groups. The BLA recently claimed responsibility for a series of attacks targeting security forces in the region, which also hosts a strong presence of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Pakistani Taliban. Though distinct from the Afghan Taliban, the TTP is allied with them.

Since the Taliban’s return to power in neighboring Afghanistan in 2021, the TTP has become increasingly assertive. Pakistan frequently accuses the Afghan government in Kabul of providing shelter and support to the TTP, the BLA, and other insurgent organizations—a claim Kabul denies.

Lieutenant General Chaudhry emphasized that both Afghan nationals and local militants have been involved in the recent violence. He reaffirmed the military’s commitment to pursuing all militants, their supporters, and safe havens, regardless of location. “We will chase you, we will hurt you,” he declared.

In addition to attacks on security personnel, insurgents targeted civilians near Quetta earlier this week, resulting in four deaths. The ongoing violence has drawn renewed attention to the fragile security situation in Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest but least populated province, where separatist and militant groups continue to challenge state authority despite ongoing military operations.

Pakistan has also intensified cross-border strikes into Afghanistan over the past year, aiming to disrupt militant hideouts along and beyond the border. The recent surge in attacks underscores the persistent security challenges facing both Pakistan and the broader region.