Separatist militants launched deadly attacks across southwestern Pakistan on Monday,

killing at least 39 people in a series of “coordinated” assaults, primarily targeting ethnic

Punjabis.

The Baloch Liberation Army, the most active militant separatist group in the province,

claimed responsibility for the attacks in a statement released to AFP. One of the deadliest

incidents occurred on a highway in Balochistan province, where militants stopped vehicles

and shot 23 people dead, marking one of the worst shootings in the region in recent years.

Shahid Rind, a spokesman for the Balochistan provincial government, confirmed the

coordinated nature of the attacks, which took place in at least three districts. In Musakhail

district, 30 to 40 gunmen halted buses, vans, and trucks on a highway connecting Punjab

with Balochistan.

The BLA, in its statement, claimed to have targeted only security personnel and warned the

Baloch public to avoid highways, stating their “fight is against the occupying Pakistani

military.” In a separate attack in Bolan district, militants blew up a railway bridge, leaving six

dead bodies nearby, according to Javed Baloch, a senior government official.

Meanwhile, ten more people, including security personnel, were killed in Kalat district.

Balochistan, despite its wealth of untapped natural resources, remains Pakistan’s poorest

province and has long been a battleground for sectarian, ethnic, and separatist violence.

The BLA has intensified its attacks in recent years, often targeting security forces and

civilians from other provinces, accusing them of exploiting the region’s resources.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attacks, expressing “deep grief and

condemnation” in a statement issued by his office on Monday.