India, Feb. 2 -- Pakistan's security forces said they killed 145 militants in less than two days during operations in the southwestern province of Balochistan. The situation marks one of the most serious periods of violence in the region in recent times.

"We have managed to kill 145 terrorists in 40 hours," Sarfraz Bugti, the chief minister of Balochistan, told reporters on Sunday. He added that the clashes also led to the deaths of 31 civilians and 17 members of the security forces.

Rising Insurgent Violence Across Pakistan Pakistan has seen a sharp increase in militant activity since last year. According to the South Asia Terrorism Portal, 3,967 people were killed in such attacks across the country, the highest death toll recorded sin...