More than 120 people were killed after a wave of coordinated suicide bombings and gun attacks swept across Pakistan’s south-western Balochistan province, according to officials. The attacks, which took place on Saturday, were described by analysts as the deadliest single day for militants in decades.

Pakistan’s military said that “terrorists” carried out multiple attacks across different parts of the province. In a statement, the military confirmed that 33 people were killed, including civilians and security personnel, while security forces killed 92 assailants during counter-operations. According to official figures, 18 civilians and 15 members of the security forces lost their lives.

The attacks targeted a wide range of locations, including civilians, police stations, a high-security prison, paramilitary installations, rail infrastructure, and public transport routes. Authorities said that the violence erupted almost simultaneously across the province, adding to the scale and intensity of the situation.

Though Baloch separatist groups and the Pakistani Taliban frequently target security forces in Balochistan and other regions, officials noted that such large-scale, coordinated attacks are rare. Authorities said that at least 133 terrorists have been killed across Balochistan in the past 48 hours, including the 92 killed on Saturday alone.

Pakistan’s military and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said the attackers had the backing of India. There was no immediate response from New Delhi, which has previously denied similar allegations.

The banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the suicide and gun attacks. During the assaults, militants reportedly robbed banks, torched dozens of vehicles, and attacked a police station. The group also released videos showing female fighters participating in the attacks, which officials described as part of propaganda efforts to highlight the role of women among the militants.

Shahid Rind, spokesperson for the Balochistan government, said that most of the attacks were foiled by security forces. He said the attacks came a day after the military announced that security forces had raided two militant hideouts earlier in the week, killing 41 insurgents in separate gun battles.

Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti wrote on X that security forces were actively chasing the insurgents. He added that at least 700 insurgents were killed by security forces over the past year.

Earlier on Saturday, authorities said insurgents destroyed rail tracks, prompting Pakistan Railways to suspend train services from Balochistan to other parts of the country. Officials said the targets included police posts, prisons, paramilitary forces, and passengers.

Provincial Health Minister Bakht Muhammad Kakar said the attacks began almost at the same time across the province. He confirmed that two police officers were killed in a grenade attack on a police vehicle in Quetta, the provincial capital. Following the violence, the government declared an emergency at all hospitals.

In Mastung district, dozens of insurgents attacked a prison and freed more than 30 inmates, police said. In another incident, militants attempted to storm the provincial headquarters of paramilitary forces in Nushki district, but police said the attack was repelled.

In Dalbandin district, insurgents hurled grenades at the office of a government administrator. Local authorities said a swift response by security forces forced the attackers to flee.

Officials said attacks on security posts in Balincha, Tump, and Kharan districts were thwarted. In Pasni and Gwadar, insurgents attempted to abduct passengers travelling on buses along highways, according to police.

The BLA is banned in Pakistan and is designated as a terrorist organisation by the United States. Pakistani authorities say the group has carried out numerous attacks in recent years and claims it receives backing from India, a charge New Delhi denies.

Pakistan has repeatedly accused Baloch separatists, the Pakistani Taliban, and other militant groups of using Afghan soil to launch attacks inside Pakistan. Kabul has denied these allegations.

Abdullah Khan, managing director of the Islamabad-based Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, told the Associated Press that the “terrorists linked to BLA or other groups had never before been killed in such a large number in a single day” in Balochistan.

Baloch separatist groups and the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), have intensified attacks in recent months. The TTP is a separate group but is allied with Afghanistan’s Taliban, who returned to power in August 2021.

Balochistan has long faced an insurgency by separatist groups seeking independence from Pakistan’s central government in Islamabad.