Pakistan sends helicopters, drones to end desert standoff

Pakistan's security forces used drones and helicopters to wrest control of a southwestern town from separatist insurgents after a three-day battle, as the death toll in the weekend's violence rose to ⁠58.



Saturday's wave of coordinated attacks by the separatist Baloch Liberation Army brought Pakistan's largest province to a near standstill as security forces exchanged ⁠fire with insurgents in more than a dozen places, killing 197 militants.



Fighters of the BLA, the region's strongest insurgent group, stormed schools, ⁠banks, markets and security installations across Balochistan in one of their largest operations ever, killing more than 22 security officials and 36 civilians.



Police officials gave details of the situation on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to speak to the media.



In the desert town of Nushki, home to about 50,000, the insurgents seized control of the police station and other security installations, triggering a three-day standoff.