Rights groups challenge Pakistan’s claim of killing 150 militants, as children and civilians are reported among casualties in Nushki

A minor child and several other civilians were reported killed in alleged drone strikes in Balochistan’s Nushki district, according to local sources.

The incident reportedly took place late Sunday night in the Killi Jamaldini area, where residents described a house being hit in what they said was a drone strike. The child, identified as Deedag, son of Abdul Manan, was among those reportedly killed.

Paank, the human rights department of the Baloch National Movement, condemned the incident. On X (formerly Twitter), they stated that “a three-year-old Baloch child, Deedag Baloch, lost his life in a Pakistani drone strike carried…near the Girls’ Primary School Jamaldini.”

Residents reported a night of intense bombardment across parts of Nushki, with descriptions of more than 20 drone strikes in and around Killi Jamaldini. Several homes were damaged, and witnesses said women and children were among those killed or injured during the strikes.

They also reported extensive destruction in Nushki’s main market, which they claimed had been “reduced to rubble, with not a single building left undamaged” after what they described as heavy UCAV (unmanned combat aerial vehicle) bombardment.

Verification of these claims was hindered by an ongoing communications blackout in the district, making independent confirmation difficult. Despite the reports, no official or international agencies have yet verified the incidents.

In addition, local reports alleged that over ten civilians were killed when Pakistani forces targeted a vehicle near Cadet College Nushki. The identities of the victims and details of the strike remain unconfirmed, raising concerns over civilian casualties.

Amidst the increasing reports of civilian deaths, the Human Rights Council of Balochistan (HRCB) expressed serious concern about the security situation across the region. They described the overall situation as “extremely alarming.”

The HRCB highlighted that the internet shutdown in the area had made it nearly impossible to verify casualty figures or obtain accurate information. Clashes between Pakistani forces and fighters of the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) have continued in several districts.

According to the group, “disturbing reports” emerged from Kech, Gwadar, and Nushki, indicating that “dozens of civilians, including women and children,” had been killed due to “indiscriminate firing by Pakistani forces.” However, they noted these accounts had yet to be independently confirmed.

The HRCB criticized the lack of transparency surrounding official casualty figures. The Balochistan government claimed that more than 150 militants had been killed recently, but the organization questioned this figure.

They pointed out that the government had not provided any names, profiles, or details about the individuals it claimed to have killed, raising doubts about the accuracy of these claims.

The organization also questioned Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti’s statement last month, which claimed that over 1,000 “terrorists” had been killed in 2024. They expressed skepticism, citing a pattern of people being killed in custody and later labeled as militants killed in “encounters.”

The HRCB called on the government to release the full identities and case details of all individuals it claims to have killed, both in recent operations and over the past year, to ensure transparency and accountability.