QUETTA: Separatist militants, affiliated with the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), have launched coordinated attacks in multiple cities of Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province and killed at least two policemen, a senior police official said early Saturday.

The attacks in the provincial capital of Quetta began at around 6am with a powerful explosion, followed by intense gunfire that lasted for two hours along with multiple explosions.

Balochistan, which borders Iran and Afghanistan, is the site of a decades-long insurgency waged by Baloch separatist groups who often attack security forces and foreigners, and kidnap government officials.

A senior police official, who requested anonymity, told Arab News that the militants attempted to enter the city but police and other law enforcement agencies stopped them.

“The terrorists attacked a police mobile at Sariab road which resulted in the killing of two policemen,” he said. “Police and other law enforcement agencies denied space to the terrorists in Quetta city and a clearance operation is still going on.”

Residents of Dalbandin and Nuhski said they heard explosions and gunfire in the districts early Saturday morning, while there were reports of similar attacks in Mastung, Gwadar, Pasni and Turbat. 

In a statement issued on Saturday, BLA said the group had launched Operation ‘Herof 2.0,’ which included a series of attacks in multiple cities of Balochistan.

Saturday’s attacks follow coordinated attacks carried out by the group in Aug. 2024 in various districts of Balochistan which left dozens of people killed.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Railways suspended train service from Balochistan to other parts of the country for a day, following Saturday’s attacks.

“Quetta-Peshawar bound Jaffar Express, and Quetta-Chaman passenger trains have been canceled due to the prevailing security situation in Balochistan,” Muhammad Kashif, the railways controller in Quetta division, told Arab News.