Hundreds of people have been killed in the southwestern province of Balochistan as rebel attacks surge.

Pakistan has deployed helicopters and drones to take control of a town in the mineral-rich western Baluchistan province from rebels as fighting continues, killing dozens of security officials and civilians.

Police said on Wednesday they had taken control of the desert town of Nushki after three days of fighting, Reuters reported. Seven officers were killed in the fighting.

“More troops are being sent to Nushki,” a security official said. “Helicopters and drones were used to deal with the militants.”

this Balochistan Liberation Army The Pakistan Liberation Army (BLA) launched a series of attacks in southwestern provinces on Saturday, targeting banks, schools, markets and security facilities in Pakistan’s largest and poorest province.

“I thought the roof and walls of my house were going to explode,” said Robina Ali, a housewife who lives in Quetta, the provincial capital, near a main administrative building where a powerful explosion occurred in the morning.

On Wednesday, a senior official told AFP that “197 terrorists have been killed in ongoing counter-terrorism operations.”

Authorities imposed security restrictions in the province, which borders Afghanistan and Iran, banning public gatherings and demonstrations.

Funeral services for some of the victims are scheduled for Wednesday afternoon.

The BLA said on Tuesday that 280 soldiers had been killed in what it called “Operation Heroes,” which BLA leader Bashir Zeb said was a follow-up to coordinated attacks in Syria. August 2024 At least 74 people died.

Authorities said at least 50 people were killed in coordinated attacks by the BLA.

Pakistan has been grappling with separatist movements in Balochistan for decades. Violence has surged in recent years and armed groups say they are boycotting mining in the resource-rich province. The region is rich in coal, gold, copper and natural gas, generating revenue for the federal government.

The groups frequently target security forces and also attack civilians, including Chinese working on projects in the area.

In 2025, separatists triggered a two-day siege in which dozens were killed. Attack on train There were hundreds of passengers on board.

“Balochistan security forces have put to hell more than 700 terrorists in the last 12 months and eliminated around 70 terrorists in the last two days alone,” Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti told reporters on Sunday. “These attacks will not weaken our resolve to fight terrorism.”

He accused the militants of being backed by India and Afghanistan, a charge New Delhi and Kabul deny.