Coordinated Baloch Liberation Army Attacks Rock Pakistan's Balochistan Province

A series of coordinated attacks, claimed by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), occurred across Pakistan's Balochistan province on a recent Saturday. The incidents targeted civilians, security installations, and infrastructure, leading to a significant number of fatalities among civilians, security personnel, and militants. Authorities reported varying casualty figures, with officials stating that many attacks were repelled.

Incident Overview

On a recent Saturday, approximately a dozen coordinated attacks were launched across southern Pakistan, primarily in Balochistan province. The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), an outlawed separatist group, claimed responsibility for these actions, which they referred to as "Operation Herof" according to one report. The group also released videos purportedly showing female fighters involved in the attacks.

Targets included civilian areas, high-security prisons, police stations, paramilitary installations, and government offices. Provincial Health Minister Bakht Muhammad Kakar noted that the attacks began almost simultaneously across the province.

"The attacks began almost simultaneously across the province."

Specific Incidents:

• Attacks were reported in Quetta, Gwadar, Bannu, and Mastung districts.
• An attack on a high-security prison in Mastung district led to the release of over 30 inmates.
• Attempts to storm the provincial headquarters of paramilitary forces in Nushki district were reportedly repelled.
• Grenade attacks occurred on a government administrator's office in Dalbandin district, where security forces intervened.
• Thwarted attacks on security posts were reported in Balincha, Tump, and Kharan districts.
• Attempts were made to abduct bus passengers on highways in Pasni and Gwadar.
• Reports indicated banks being robbed, a police station, and dozens of vehicles being torched.
• The destruction of rail tracks prompted Pakistan Railways to suspend train services from Balochistan to other parts of the country.

Casualties and Response

Official reports on casualties varied across sources:

• Civilian Fatalities: Authorities reported civilian deaths ranging from 11 to 18. Eleven civilians, including three women and three children, were reportedly killed in Gwadar. In Quetta, an attack resulted in at least 11 fatalities.
• Security Personnel Fatalities: Ten to fifteen security personnel were reported killed. Two police officers died in a grenade attack on a police vehicle in Quetta. Seven officers were reported killed in Nushki during a three-day battle following the initial attacks. Six security personnel died in an attack on a paramilitary base in Bannu.
• Militant Fatalities: Authorities reported 67 to 92 insurgents were killed on Saturday. Overall, between 108 and 133 militants were reported killed across Balochistan within a 48-hour period. Another official stated that 197 militants have been killed in ongoing counter-terrorism operations. The BLA, however, claimed to have killed 280 soldiers.

Emergency services were activated, and an emergency was declared at all hospitals across the province. Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi confirmed the death of 10 security officers. Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti stated that security forces were pursuing insurgents and that approximately 700 insurgents had been killed by security forces in the past year, with around 70 in the preceding two days. Shahid Rind, a spokesperson for the Balochistan government, indicated that most attacks were foiled.

Background and Allegations

The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) is an organization banned in Pakistan and designated a terrorist organization by the United States. Pakistan's military and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi alleged that the attackers had external backing, specifically from India and Afghanistan. Both India and Afghanistan have denied these accusations.

These coordinated attacks followed military operations earlier in the week, where security forces raided two militant hideouts in the country's southwest, resulting in the deaths of 41 insurgents.

Balochistan province has a history of insurgency by separatist groups seeking independence from Pakistan's central government. The region, rich in natural resources like coal, gold, copper, and gas, has seen increased violence in recent years, with targets including security forces, civilians, and Chinese personnel involved in local development projects. Analysts, such as Abdullah Khan from the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, described the number of militant fatalities in a single day as significant for the region in decades.

Both Baloch separatist groups and Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) have reportedly intensified their activities in Pakistan recently.