Pakistan: BLA launches 'Operation Baam' against State; 17 targets hit across Balochistan

Time of India

10-07-2025

Photo: Generative AI
In one of the most sweeping and coordinated offensives witnessed in years, the rebellious outfit Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) launched a wave of attacks late Tuesday across multiple districts of Balochistan, targeting government and military installations.
The group claimed responsibility for what it called "Operation Baam (Dawn)," vowing a new chapter in its decades-long fight against the Pakistani state, reported news agency ANI.
At least 17 attacks were reported across Panjgur, Surab, Kech, and Kharan, disrupting communication lines, damaging administrative infrastructure, and striking military checkpoints.
While Pakistani authorities have yet to provide a full account of the damage, local sources reported significant disruptions in affected areas.
In a statement, BLF spokesperson Major Gwahram Baloch described the campaign as 'a new dawn in the Baloch national liberation war,' asserting that the operation stretched from the Makran coast to the Koh-e-Suleman mountains, underscoring the group's extended operational reach.
'The resistance has entered a new phase,' Major Gwahram said. 'Operation Baam is designed to demonstrate that Baloch fighters are capable of launching large-scale, synchronised operations across vast geography.'
He claimed the attacks were carefully choreographed to inflict both "human and material losses" on security forces, though details remain sparse and largely unverified.
The scale and precision of the strikes suggest an emboldened insurgency in Pakistan's south-western province, where grievances over resource exploitation, political marginalisation, and military presence have long fueled separatist sentiment.
As of Wednesday morning, security forces had begun search operations in the targeted districts, while communication services remained down in parts of Kech and Panjgur.
The BLF said it would release more information on the operation's outcomes once it concludes. Meanwhile, the assault has once again drawn attention to the fragile security situation in Balochistan, where periodic flare-ups of armed rebellion continue to challenge Islamabad's hold over the resource-rich but restive region.