Insurgents launched another attack in Pakistan’s restive southwest on Wednesday, killing 18 police officers and 11 soldiers who were kidnapped earlier this week, the military said. It is the latest escalation of violence in the region, with insurgents stepping up attacks on security forces and civilians.Military spokesman Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said the latest attack brought the death toll since Monday to 42, mostly soldiers and police.He told a televised news conference that security forces also killed 54 insurgents in multiple operations during the same period.Chaudhry said the 18 policemen had been held since dozens of militants attacked a police post in Balochistan’s Ziarat district on Monday night, killing nine other policemen. He said the attackers belonged to what the government calls the “Fitna al-Khawarij” group, a term that refers to the outlawed Balochistan Liberation Army.
