KARACHI — At least 56 people, including 12 militants, were killed in a series of violent incidents in southwest and northwest Pakistan on Monday, according to officials and local media reports.

In southwestern Balochistan province, suspected militants killed 23 passengers early Monday after forcing them off several vehicles in the Musakhel district.

The heavily armed assailants blocked a key road, stopped multiple vehicles, and opened fire on passengers after checking their identities.

Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti condemned the attack, calling it a brutal targeting of innocent people and vowing that the terrorists and their facilitators would be brought to justice. The attackers reportedly set at least 10 vehicles on fire before fleeing the scene.

Meanwhile, in Balochistan's Qalat district, a night-long clash between militants and security forces resulted in the deaths of 10 people, including five security personnel. Police in Qalat City reported that the clashes erupted along the National Highway.

In a separate incident, four bullet-riddled bodies were discovered in the mountains of Bolan district, while armed assailants briefly took control of a police station in Mastung district, setting fire to records and vehicles before fleeing.

A bomb blast in Bolan district destroyed a key railway bridge, killing two people and halting rail traffic between Balochistan and other provinces.

In northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, a remote-controlled bomb blast in the town of Rizmak, North Waziristan, killed four people and injured several others. — Agencies