Quetta, July 27 (IANS) The Baloch armed fighters launched a series of attacks targeting Pakistani forces and installations across multiple districts of Balochistan, leaving several personnel dead, local media reported citing sources.
The fighters also seized and torched multiple vehicles transporting minerals, after opening fire on a convoy in the Nokchah area of Chagai district.
The incident came against the backdrop of an “economic blockade” declared by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA). Since the announcement, the group has established control over major highways across Balochistan, with reports indicating that over 200 vehicles have been set ablaze, The Balochistan Post reported.
In a separate incident, a large Pakistani military convoy heading to Noshki city was attacked on the N-40 highway near the Killi Batto area. The convoy included bulletproof vehicles and was accompanied by police personnel.
Reports suggest Pakistani security personnel were killed in the attack, although the number could not immediately be confirmed. A police vehicle assigned to the deputy commissioner was struck, but the official reportedly escaped without injury.
The latest attack came days after another military convoy near Noshki city was attacked, which resulted in the death of three personnel and injuries to three others.
Additionally, the armed fighters blocked the highway near the Zinda Pir area in Harnai district, searching passing vehicles before remaining in the area for several hours. They subsequently blew up the nearby Delkona Levies station and a telecommunications tower in Pan Ghar using explosives.
Anti-Terrorist Force (ATF) personnel were attacked in the Hasri area of Kohlu district, with preliminary reports suggesting casualties and material destruction.
Furthermore, in Kharan district, the armed fighters fired mortar shells at Pakistani forces during an operation in the Tazina area, with the forces reportedly suffering casualties before they withdrew.
According to reports, no group has yet claimed responsibility for the attacks across the province.
Earlier this week, the BLA took responsibility for the attack targeting a Pakistani military convoy in Balochistan’s Mastung district, claiming that over 45 security personnel were killed and dozens injured during the operation.
In a statement issued, BLA spokesperson Jeeyand Baloch said that the attack was carried out in the Khadkucha area of Mastung by the armed group’s unit, “Fatah Squad, while describing it as “coordinated and intense ”.
He said that the armed group attacked a convoy of buses transporting personnel of the “occupying” Pakistani army, their security details, and the military reinforcements that subsequently arrived at the scene.
–IANS
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