Transport services to Quetta were halted and internet access disrupted as violence escalated across Balochistan, following militant claims and a sweeping security response by Pakistani forces.
File image: Pakistani soldiers stand guard during a protest against the attack on a passenger bus in southwest Pakistan's Quetta | IANS/Xinhua
Public life across large parts of Pakistan’s Balochistan province has been severely disrupted as transport services to Quetta were suspended and internet access cut, following a sharp escalation in violence linked to a militant offensive.
Bus services connecting Quetta with other major cities were halted on Saturday due to security concerns, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded at Rakhni and other transit points, transport officials told local media. Operators said services would remain suspended until further notice.
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The shutdown comes at a time of heightened tension in the province, after the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) announced the launch of the second phase of its armed campaign, named Operation Herof.
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The shutdown has begun to spill into everyday life. Internet services were suspended in several parts of Quetta, making it harder for people to work, study, or even stay in touch with family. Shops and small businesses reported slower activity, while routine communication all but stalled.
Travel has also been affected. Air and train services were either cut back or stopped in some areas, adding to the uncertainty for those trying to leave or return to the province.
Schools have not been spared. Cadet College Mastung said its entry test, scheduled for February 1, has been postponed to February 5 due to unavoidable circumstances.
Across the province, residents described an atmosphere of unease. Tension was reported in districts including Quetta, Tump, Nushki, Gwadar, Dalbandin, Kharan, Kalat, Mastung, Pasni, Buleda and Dhadar, as people stayed indoors and movement thinned on the streets. Local sources cited by The Balochistan Post spoke of gunfire, explosions, and attacks on police and military installations.
In Quetta, residents reported hearing gunfire and explosions in several neighbourhoods, including areas near the city’s highly sensitive Red Zone. One police mobile van was reportedly attacked on Sariab Road, killing two personnel and setting the vehicle on fire.
The violence follows the BLA’s announcement that it had entered a new phase of its campaign. Calling it a “declaration of decisive resistance”, BLA spokesperson Jeeyand Baloch said the operation was aimed at “the occupying state and all its military and administrative structures.”
“By standing alongside Baloch fighters, the people of Balochistan will defeat the enemy in every city, street and neighbourhood,” he said, adding that the group wanted to demonstrate that “there is no place for the occupier in Balochistan.”
In subsequent statements issued to media outlets, the BLA claimed it had carried out coordinated attacks in multiple cities, including Nushki, Dalbandin, Quetta, Gwadar, Pasni, Tump, Kalat, Mastung, Kharan, and Buleda. The group said its fighters had targeted military and administrative installations, disrupted troop movement, and pushed back security forces in several areas.
According to Jeeyand Baloch, the operation remained active for more than 35 hours, with fighters maintaining positions in districts such as Shaal and Noshki. He also said two local officials, Deputy Commissioner Noshki Muhammad Hussain Hazara and Assistant Commissioner Maria Shamoo, had been released after being detained earlier.
“The officials were freed on humanitarian grounds,” he said, adding that the group does not consider local civil administration as adversaries if they do not resist its fighters.
However, Pakistan’s military presented a sharply different account.
According to Pakistan’s military media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), security forces killed 92 militants during clearance operations launched in response to the attacks, while 15 security personnel also died in the clashes, The Express Tribune reported.
The ISPR said militants had targeted civilians and security installations across several districts, including Dalbandin, Nushki, Quetta, Panjgur, Mastung, Kharan, Gwadar and Pasni. It also claimed that 18 civilians, including women and children, were killed in attacks in Gwadar and Kharan.
The military said operations were continuing and those responsible would be “pursued and held accountable.” Earlier, it had claimed that 41 militants were killed in separate operations in Panjgur and Harnai, taking the total number of militants killed over two days to 133.
Meanwhile, Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind said on X that several attacks had been foiled due to timely action by police and the Frontier Corps.
The BLA, however, rejected the military’s version. In a separate statement, the group claimed it had launched coordinated attacks at 48 locations across 14 cities, seized multiple government facilities, and destroyed banks, offices and vehicles. These claims could not be independently verified.
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