Suspected separatists kill 8 Pakistani policemen in ‘coordinated’ attacks 

At least eight policemen have been killed by suspected separatists who launched “coordinated” attacks in multiple cities across Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province, officials said.

Several police stations in the provincial capital of Quetta were targeted by alleged ethnic Baloch gunmen in an attack that began at about 3am local time (01:00 GMT) on Sunday.

Pakistan has been battling a separatist movement in Balochistan for decades, where rebels target state forces, foreign nationals and non-locals in the mineral-rich southwestern province bordering Afghanistan and Iran.

“The coordinated gun and suicide attacks are being carried out across Balochistan, mainly in Quetta, Pasni, Mastung, Nushki and Gwadar districts,” a senior security official based in Quetta told the AFP news agency, speaking on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to the media.

The attacks “failed due to poor planning and rapid collapse under effective security response,” the official added, without commenting on the death toll.

Some members of the Pakistani security forces are reported to have been abducted. Internet and train services have been suspended, while a security operation is under way.

The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), the most active separatist group in the province, claimed responsibility for the attacks, AFP reported. The group claimed to target military installations and police and civil administration officials during gun attacks and suicide bombings.

The Pakistani government has not yet commented on the BLA’s claim.

Saturday’s attacks came a day after the military said it had killed 41 armed fighters in two separate operations in Balochistan, Pakistan’s poorest province, despite an abundance of untapped natural resources.

Baloch separatists have intensified attacks on Pakistanis from neighbouring provinces working in the region in recent years, as well as foreign energy firms they believe are exploiting the province’s riches.

Last year, ethnic Baloch separatists attacked a train with 450 passengers on board, prompting a two-day siege during which dozens of people were killed.