Gunmen in southwestern Pakistan’s Baluchistan province killed at least 38 people in multiple attacks on Monday, while security forces responded by killing 21 insurgents, marking one of the deadliest days in the region’s ongoing insurgency.

In Musakhail district, 23 people were killed after being taken from vehicles, with attackers burning at least 10 vehicles before fleeing.

Nine others, including police officers, were killed in Qalat district, and six bodies were found in Bolan after insurgents blew up a railway track.

Additional attacks occurred in Mastung and Gwadar, though no casualties were reported there. The military confirmed that 14 security personnel were also killed in the violence, the Associated Press has reported.

The Baluch Liberation Army (BLA), known for its separatist agenda, claimed responsibility for some attacks, while Pakistani leaders condemned the violence and vowed to bring the perpetrators to justice.

The attacks are part of a long-running insurgency in Baluchistan, where separatists have targeted non-Baluch workers and security forces to weaken the region economically.

In a separate incident in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, a roadside bomb killed four and injured 12 others.

Written by B.C. Begley