Balochistan Liberation Army Claims 45 Pakistani Soldiers Killed in Attack

Islamabad. Rebel organization Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) has claimed that 45 Pakistani soldiers were killed in an attack on a security force convoy in Pakistan's restive Balochistan province.

According to Indian media The Print, quoting Balochistan Post, the BLA claimed responsibility for the attack carried out on Thursday in the Mastung area. The Pakistani army has confirmed the attack but has not yet released an official death toll.

In a statement issued by BLA spokesperson Jiand Baloch, it was mentioned that the organization's Fateh Squad carried out coordinated attacks targeting the security convoy, its security team, and additional military forces that arrived at the scene. He claimed that clashes were ongoing between both sides at the time of issuing the statement and that the number of dead and injured could increase.

This attack is the third major attack on security forces in Balochistan within the last two weeks. Earlier, 27 police personnel were killed in a coordinated attack in the Manghi Dam area of Jiyarat district, and 11 soldiers were killed in Lasbela.

Following those incidents, the Pakistani army launched 'Operation Shaban' this week. It is reported that the army, Frontier Corps, Balochistan Police, intelligence agencies, and air support have been mobilized in this operation.

Pakistani army spokesperson Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry has warned that those responsible for the attack will be found and punished. He stated that military action would be strict and decisive. Balochistan is Pakistan's largest but least populated province.

A separatist insurgency has been ongoing here for decades, demanding rights over natural resources and greater political autonomy. The Gwadar port developed with Chinese investment and the province's strategic location are also considered major reasons for making this region sensitive from a security and economic perspective.

The Pakistani government has formed a four-member inquiry committee to investigate this incident. The committee will investigate the sequence of the attack, potential command weaknesses, review security arrangements, and investigate errors in coordination between various security agencies.