Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday vowed retaliation a day after deadly terrorist attacks killed more than 60 people.

”There is no room for weakness. We have to move forward with a resolute decision,” the prime minister was quoted as saying during a meeting of the federal Cabinet.

Mr Sharif said that the terrorists’ target was to “stop the journey of progress in Pakistan,” as he mentioned projects under the multibillion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

On Monday, rebels launched coordinated attacks targeting security forces and civilians in the southwestern province of Balochistan, leaving at least 61 people dead, including 19 soldiers.

The Pakistani military responded with force, reportedly eliminating 21 rebels.

The attacks took place at a time when a top Chinese general was visiting Islamabad and having meetings with civil and military leaders.

The rebel group, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), shared details of the attacks late on Monday. It said a female suicide bomber was one of the attackers who targeted a military compound.

The group said seven suicide bombers and over 800 fighters took part in the string of attacks codenamed Herof or destructive winds.

Balochistan, which borders Afghanistan and Iran, has long been a hotspot of insurgency, partly due to local resentment against China’s extensive investment in the region under its Belt and Road Initiative.

The latest attacks were the deadliest in Pakistan in several months amid a surge in violence by the Taliban and nationalist rebels. 

(dpa/NAN)