Protests erupted in Surab following reports that a Pakistani military airstrike in the Gidar Goandhan area killed more than twenty people and injured at least sixteen others.

The aerial attack, carried out on Tuesday, caused civilian casualties, including women and children.

Local residents and police transported the injured and the bodies of those killed to the District Headquarters Hospital in Surab, where the wounded were receiving treatment. Some residents claimed that the actual number of fatalities could be higher than initially reported.

At the time of the report, Pakistani military or security authorities had not issued any official statement confirming the incident or the casualties.

In the aftermath, relatives of the victims and local residents placed the bodies on the N‑25 Quetta‑Karachi highway at Surab’s main square and launched a sit‑in protest. The demonstration brought traffic to a standstill, with long lines of vehicles forming on both sides of the road.

Protesters declared they would continue the sit‑in until their demands were met. The incident drew condemnation from political and civil society organisations, adding to the mounting criticism of military operations in Balochistan.

The Baloch Yakjehti Committee condemned the reported airstrike, voicing concern over the deaths of civilians, including women and children, and demanding accountability. In its statement, the organisation described the bombing of a populated area as an act of state violence.

According to the Committee, the strike was being organised to protest the airstrike and the reported killing of civilians. The group appealed to traders, political activists, civil society representatives, and residents across Balochistan to join the shutdown.

Sardar Akhtar Mengal, leader of the Balochistan National Party‑Mengal, questioned the reported targeting of civilians and children in comments shared on social media. Referring to photographs of the victims, he asked whether children could be labelled militants and whether peace could ever be achieved by killing them.

Lawyer and political commentator Sajid Tareen Advocate also responded to the reports on X, calling claims that twenty‑seven people, including women and children, were killed in the airstrike tragic. He expressed solidarity with the families affected by the incident.

The protests in Surab highlight the growing anger among Baloch citizens over repeated military actions that have resulted in civilian deaths.

The sit‑in on the highway symbolises both grief and defiance, as communities demand recognition of their suffering and accountability from the state. The silence of the authorities has only deepened resentment, while political voices and civil society groups continue to amplify calls for justice.

The incident adds to the long history of Balochistan’s struggle against military repression, resource exploitation, and denial of basic rights, fuelling demands for dignity and autonomy.

ANI