Protests broke out in Surab on Tuesday following reports that a Pakistani military airstrike in the Gidar Goandhan area resulted in the deaths of more than 20 people and injuries to at least 16 others, according to local sources and residents.
Local sources said the aerial bombardment took place on 12 August and reportedly caused casualties among civilians, including women and children. The injured and deceased were transported by local residents and police to the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital in Surab, where the wounded were receiving medical treatment.
Those reported killed included Raj Bibi, wife of Rasool Bakhsh; Safia, wife of Noor Jan; two-year-old Jalal, son of Noor Jan; Shabbir Ahmed, son of Khudadad; Noor Jan, son of Rasool Bakhsh; and Karim Dad, son of Rasool Bakhsh.
Among the reported injured were several women and children, including one-year-old Asim, three-year-old Rabia, five-year-old Sadiya, seven-year-old Fatema, two-year-old Zia-ur-Rehman, one-year-old Amir and four-year-old Hasina.
Some local residents claimed that the death toll may be higher than the figures initially reported. No official statement regarding the incident or the reported casualties had been issued by Pakistani military or security authorities at the time of reporting.
Following the incident, relatives of the deceased and local residents placed bodies on the N-25 Quetta-Karachi highway in Surab’s main square and began a sit-in protest. The demonstration blocked traffic on the highway, resulting in long queues of vehicles on both sides of the road. Protesters stated that the sit-in would continue until their demands were addressed.
The incident prompted reactions from political and civil society groups.
The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) condemned the airstrike, expressing concern over the deaths of civilians, including women and children, and calling for accountability. In a statement, the organisation described the bombing of a populated area as an example of state repression and announced a Balochistan-wide shutter-down and wheel-jam strike for 13 August.
According to the BYC, the strike call is intended as a protest against the airstrike and the killing of civilians. The group urged traders, political activists, civil society members and residents across Balochistan to participate in the shutdown.
Separately, Sardar Akhtar Mengal, head of the Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) questioned the targeting of civilians and children in remarks posted on social media. Referring to images of the victims, he asked whether the children could be considered militants and questioned whether peace could be achieved through the killing of children.
Mengal further wrote: “Is this Palestine? Is this Kashmir? No, this is Balochistan.”
Lawyer and political commentator Sajid Tareen Advocate also reacted to the reports on social media platform X, describing claims that 27 people, including women and children, had been killed in the airstrike as tragic and expressing solidarity with the affected families.
Authorities had not publicly responded to the reports at the time of publication.