Pakistani security forces have killed at least 145 militants in a manhunt in restive Balochistan province. Nearly 50 people died.

Sunday’s announcement came a day after attacks occurred early Saturday in multiple locations in southwestern Balochistan province, killing 31 civilians, including five women, and 17 security personnel.

Banned separatists claim responsibility for attack Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), prompting authorities to impose months-long security restrictions in the province, banning public gatherings, demonstrations and restricting traffic movements.

The measures also ban the use of face coverings that conceal one’s identity in public places, Dawn newspaper reported.

The province’s chief minister, Sarfraz Bugti, told reporters in Quetta that the army and police responded quickly to the attack, killing 145 members of “Fitna al-Hindustan,” the government’s term for the BLA.

He said the number of combatant deaths over the past two days was the highest in decades.

“The bodies of these 145 slain terrorists, some of them Afghan nationals, are in our custody,” Bugti said, claiming that “India-backed terrorists” wanted to take hostages but failed to reach the city center.

Pakistan’s military said 92 militants were killed on Saturday and 41 on Friday.

“We received intelligence reports that such an operation was being planned, so we started pre-operations the day before,” Bugti said.

Bugti also accused Afghanistan of supporting the attackers and said senior BLA leaders were operating from Afghan soil.

New Delhi and Kabul deny the accusations.

‘Baseless accusations’

India denied the claims in a statement on Sunday, accusing Islamabad of diverting attention from its internal problems.

“We categorically reject the baseless allegations leveled by Pakistan,” Indian foreign ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said, adding that Islamabad should address “the long-standing needs of the people of the region.”

Balochistan is also Pakistan’s poorest province and has faced decades of violence and separatist attacks by ethnic Baluchs seeking greater autonomy and a greater share of natural resources.

The BLA regularly targets Pakistani security forces and attacks civilians, including thousands of Chinese nationals working on various projects in the province.

The latest attacks on Saturday were carried out almost simultaneously in Quetta, Gwadar, Mastone and Noshki districts, with militants opening fire on security installations including the Border Guard headquarters, attempting suicide bombings and briefly blocking roads in urban areas, officials said.

Outside a damaged store, private security guard Jamil Ahmed Mashwani said the attackers carried out the attack shortly after noon. “They hit me in the face and head,” he said.

‘Bold action’

Al Jazeera’s Kamal Hyder, reporting from Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province, said the BLA targeted at least 12 locations in the operation, which he called a “bold” operation.

“The attackers were able to hit the heart of the provincial capital, infiltrating the city center while also blocking major highways,” he said.

In Quetta, security forces stepped up patrols and restricted movement after the attack, with police station vehicles burned, doors riddled with bullet holes and streets cordoned off with yellow tape.

Businesses have also been forced to close, and residents told Al Jazeera they feared more attacks.

On Saturday, attackers dressed as civilians entered hospitals, schools, banks and markets and then opened fire, according to Talal Chaudhry, Pakistan’s junior interior minister.

“In each case, the attackers were dressed as civilians and indiscriminately targeted ordinary people working in shops,” he said, claiming the militants also used civilians as human shields.

Pakistan Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said two of the attacks involved female fighters. He noted that attacks are now increasingly targeting civilians, labor and low-income communities.

US Charge d’Affaires Natalie Baker condemned the attacks, calling them acts of horrific violence and saying Washington stood with Pakistan. The BLA is designated a foreign terrorist organization by the United States.

Pakistan also faces regular attacks from armed groups elsewhere in the country, including a faction linked to the Pakistani Taliban known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP.