At least 30 people, including 18 paramilitary soldiers and 12 militants, were killed in violent clashes in southwest Pakistan, the country’s military said on Saturday.
The firefights took place in the troubled Balochistan region, which has been a hotspot of insurgency for years.
According to a statement from the Pakistan Army’s media wing, militants attempted to set up roadblocks in the region late Friday night.
The clashes occurred when security forces attempted to remove the barricades. The exact group affiliation of the militants remains unclear.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack, describing it as a significant act of violence.
In a separate incident earlier in the week, militants attempted to seize a Pakistani security post near the Afghan border using an explosives-laden vehicle. The attack was foiled by security forces, preventing further casualties.
Balochistan, a mineral-rich province bordering Iran and Afghanistan, has been plagued by insurgency for over a decade, driven by separatist Baloch ethnic groups and armed factions operating in the region.
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