Pakistani security forces have killed 75 insurgents in operations against a separatist group in Balochistan

ISLAMABAD -- Pakistani security forces backed by military helicopters have killed 75 insurgents in dayslong operations against an outlawed separatist group blamed for a wave of attacks on troops, police and civilians in restive Balochistan province, officials said Friday.

The announcement came a day after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited Balochistan's capital, Quetta, and told the families of 42 people killed in the attacks that their sacrifices were not in vain and those responsible would be brought to justice.

This week's violence has raised concerns that separatist groups once considered relatively small are expanding their reach.

According to the Balochistan government, the operations involving the army, the Frontier Corps and police began late Monday after dozens of fighters from the Baloch Liberation Army, or BLA, attacked a police post near Mangi Dam, which supplies water to million of people in Quetta and surrounding areas.

Nine police officers and 15 attackers were killed in the initial assault. The attackers abducted 18 police officers, who were later found blindfolded and shot dead after fleeing into nearby mountains.

Pakistan says both the BLA and the Pakistani Taliban have sanctuaries in Afghanistan and receive support from India. Kabul and New Delhi deny those allegations.

The government also approved compensation of 11.1 million rupees ($39,000) for the family of each police officer killed in the attacks.

Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest but least populous province, has long faced a separatist insurgency led by ethnic Baloch groups seeking greater autonomy or independence. It has also seen attacks by the TTP, which is separate from but allied with the Afghan Taliban.

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