Telecommunications services were suspended in Quetta, Sibi and Chaman after coordinated attacks by the Baloch Liberation Army across parts of Pakistan’s Balochistan province, local media reported.
Some outlets said the shutdown was ordered by provincial authorities.
At the same time, the Balochistan health department declared an emergency at government hospitals to treat the wounded.
Balochistan’s health minister, Bakht Muhammad Kakar, instructed health officials and hospitals on Saturday to ensure immediate medical care for those injured in the shootings and to closely monitor treatment. Operating theatres in Quetta health facilities were placed on high alert and additional doctors deployed, officials said.
The Baloch Liberation Army earlier announced what it described as the second phase of its attacks, referred to as “Operation Hero”. Its spokesperson, Jeeyand Baloch, said the campaign represented what he called firm resistance against the state and its military structures.
Media reports said the attacks left dozens dead and wounded, though officials have not released casualty figures.
The Express Tribune reported that 37 Baloch Liberation Army fighters were killed and that at least 10 security personnel also died. The figures could not be independently verified.
The assaults on checkpoints, military vehicles and government facilities began around midnight and were continuing, according to reports. The attacks were described as among the group’s largest operations in Pakistan in recent years.
Shahid Rind, media aide to the Balochistan chief minister, said early Saturday that security forces had foiled attacks in several areas. He added that more than 70 militants had been killed in security operations over the past two days, and that further attacks followed those operations in multiple locations.
