Under 100 Words: A Compact Summary
A series of pre-election bombings in southwest Pakistan killed 24 people, striking election offices in Pashin and Qilla Saifullah. Despite heightened security, concerns over rising militancy persist, particularly in Baluchistan. The banned Baluchistan Liberation Army targeted security forces, contributing to a broader challenge of curbing militancy in Pakistan, including former Taliban strongholds (Pakistan witnesses twin bombings).
- A series of bombings struck election offices in southwest Pakistan, killing at least 24 people and injuring over two dozen on Wednesday, just a day before the scheduled parliamentary elections.
- The initial attack occurred in Pashin, Baluchistan province, claiming at least 14 lives, with some in critical condition. Subsequently, another bombing targeted the election office of Fazlur Rehman’s Jamiat Ulema Islam party in Qilla Saifullah town, resulting in at least 10 casualties. No group immediately claimed responsibility.
- Despite heightened security measures with tens of thousands of police and paramilitary forces deployed, the attacks occurred amid concerns over a recent surge in militant activities, particularly in Baluchistan (Pakistan witnesses twin bombings). Caretaker Interior Minister Gohar Ejaz condemned the bombings.
- The Baluchistan Liberation Army, a banned group, has orchestrated numerous attacks on security forces in the Baluchistan region, sharing borders with Afghanistan and Iran.
- On January 30, a faction of the separatist Baluchistan Liberation Army targeted security facilities in Baluchistan’s Mach district, resulting in six fatalities (Pakistan witnesses twin bombings).
- Pakistan has faced challenges in curbing escalating militancy, particularly in areas once dominated by the Pakistani Taliban. Militant groups, including those operating in Baluchistan, have directed attacks against civilians in recent years.
- The resource-rich Baluchistan province, situated on the Afghanistan and Iran borders, has witnessed a prolonged low-level insurgency led by Baluch nationalists for over two decades (Pakistan witnesses twin bombings). Initially seeking a share of provincial resources, the Baluch nationalists later escalated their campaign to pursue independence.
- Additionally, the province harbors a significant presence of Pakistani Taliban and various other militant groups.
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