Pakistan has claimed that its security forces killed 75 militants during days-long operations launched after a series of deadly attacks on police, security personnel and civilians in the restive province of Balochistan. The operations targeted the banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), which Islamabad has blamed for the attacks.
Pakistani authorities claimed that nine police personnel and 15 attackers were killed in the initial assault. They also alleged that the attackers abducted 18 police officers, who were later found blindfolded and shot dead after fleeing into nearby mountains. The Balochistan government also announced compensation of 11.1 million Pakistani rupees (around USD 39,000) for the family of each police officer killed in the attacks.
The operations involving the Pakistan Army, the Frontier Corps and police began late on Monday after dozens of alleged BLA fighters attacked a police post near Mangi Dam, a key reservoir that supplies water to millions of people in Quetta and surrounding areas, according to the Balochistan government.