25 Pakistani soldiers killed in two operations across Balochistan, claims BLA

Quetta: The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) on Friday claimed responsibility for two attacks targeting Pakistani forces in Balochistan’s Ziarat and Surab districts that resulted in the deaths of 25 military personnel and injuries to several others, local media reported.

In a statement, BLA spokesperson Jeeyand Baloch said that the fighters ambushed four vehicles belonging to Pakistani military convoy at Ziarat Cross, destroying two of them, including a military truck, and killing 18 personnel.

He claimed that five injured personnel escaped and weapons were seized from the convoy, adding that the BLA’s Fateh Squad were also involved in the attack, The Balochistan Post reported.

The BLA’s official media outlet, Hakkal, also published a one-minute-and-11-second video purportedly featuring visuals from the Ziarat Cross attack.

The footage showed armed fighters standing near Pakistani military vehicles engulfed in flames, while bodies can be seen at the scene and weapons are being taken away.

The statement noted that in a separate operation in the Hajika area of Surab, the BLA’s Special Tactical Operations Squad (STOS) remotely detonated an explosives-laden vehicle, resulting in the destruction of a military vehicle and the deaths of seven personnel.

These latest incidents come against the backdrop of escalating attacks by Baloch armed groups targeting Pakistani military and police forces across Balochistan in recent days, resulting in heavy casualties and damage to infrastructure.

Last month, the BLA took responsibility for 36 operations against Pakistani forces across different regions in Balochistan, saying that 33 personnel were killed and several others injured.

The group also asserted that the policy of “economic blockade” against the “plundering of Balochistan’s natural resources, colonial exploitative projects, and the military movement” of the Pakistani forces remained strictly enforced.

“Highway blockades across key commercial routes in Balochistan will be further expanded, and all vehicles and projects safeguarding the occupying army’s economic interests will continue to be targeted. Similarly, the ban on transporting rations and logistical supplies for the occupying army in Zamuran and adjacent areas remains in full force,” the BLA stated.

“All local drivers, contractors, and merchants are warned to strictly abstain from supplying rations or any assistance to the occupying forces. In case of non-compliance, those involved will bear full responsibility for any resulting loss of life or property,” it added.

The group vowed to continue its operations against Pakistani forces until “the goal of national liberation” of Balochistan is achieved.

IANS