Latest news with #BalochLiberationArmy
Arab News
3 days ago
- Arab News
Blast kills army officer in southwest Pakistan as security forces kill nine militants in northwest
QUETTA/PESHAWAR: An army officer was killed and three civilians, including a child, were injured in a magnetic improvised explosive device (IED) blast in southwestern Pakistan on Saturday, police said, as security forces in the country's northwest killed nine militants in a separate incident. The explosion targeted a private vehicle in the western bypass area of Quetta, the capital of restive Balochistan province, where ethnic Baloch insurgents have been waging a low-level separatist insurgency for years. 'One man identified as Major Anwar Kakar was killed and three civilians, including a little girl, were injured in the attack,' said Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Sadar Shoukat Jadoon, adding the initial investigation revealed that Major Kakar was the primary target. The banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the blast, saying its 'special tactical operation unit carried out a targeted attack on an army officer in Quetta.' Balochistan, Pakistan's largest and most resource-rich province, has long grappled with a simmering insurgency by separatist groups operating in the region. Attacks targeting security forces, government officials and non-local workers have intensified in recent months, despite repeated crackdowns and security operations by the state. Earlier in the day a joint operation by police and security forces was carried out in Hangu, a district in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, killing nine militants after a two-hour firefight, according to a police official. Three senior officials, including the district police chief and a military officer, were wounded in the gunbattle. The raid, launched around 1 PM on the basis of actionable intelligence, was aimed at a suspected militant hideout. Hangu has long experienced sectarian and militant unrest, including deadly suicide bombings targeting civilians and places of worship. Saturday's raid was the latest in a series of operations targeting militant activity in the northwestern province. Speaking to Arab News, Hangu police spokesperson Saqib Khan said reinforcements were quickly deployed to support frontline units and block escape routes. 'During the intense exchange of fire, DPO [District Police Officer] Khalid Khan, a police inspector Nabi Khan and a senior military official sustained injuries,' he said. 'Fortunately, all three are out of danger and receiving proper medical care.' Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Inspector General of Police Zulfiqar Hameed praised the bravery of the officers involved, saying he had spoken to the injured DPO. 'He is in high spirits and recovering well,' the IGP said in a statement. Following the operation, Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur commended the security forces and especially the Hangu police leadership. 'DPO Khalid Khan and his team thwarted the nefarious designs of the terrorists with exceptional valor and determination,' he said in a statement, adding that 'DPO Khalid Khan led from the front and confronted the terrorists head-on, displaying remarkable bravery.' 'We are proud of such fearless and courageous police officers and personnel,' Gandapur added, while directing authorities to ensure the best medical care for the injured. He reaffirmed that the nation stands firmly behind its security forces in the fight against militant violence.
India Today
5 days ago
- Politics
- India Today
Exclusive: Baloch rebels hit Pak again; 700 killed in 286 attacks in 6 months
Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has struck the Pakistani Army with yet another attack, claiming 29 lives in Quetta and Kalat. The BLA attacked a bus that was reportedly carrying more than 48 people, including Pakistani soldiers. This attack happened to be one of the major attacks on the Pakistani security forces, taking the casualty figure to the highest in six months so January and June 2025, the BLA has launched a total of 286 attacks, reflecting a surge in militant activity across Balochistan. These operations involved various tactics, including explosions and nine specialised operations, three of which were Fidayeen-style suicide released by the intelligence agencies show that the BLA claimed to have neutralised 58 enemy agents, arrested 290 personnel, and inflicted significant casualties on Pakistani military forces, with over 697 personnel killed. The offensive also targeted infrastructure, destroying 133 vehicles, hijacking a train, and damaging 17 military installations. In addition, BLA forces captured a diverse cache of over 115 weapon types along with large ammunition reserves. This escalation marks an intensified phase of insurgency aimed at weakening state control over the region while demonstrating enhanced operational coordination and territorial intelligence data on BLA's operations in the first half of 2025 resulted in significant territorial gains, with at least 45 strategic locations reportedly seized from Pakistani BLA has made announcements regarding restructuring all operations with a strategic focus on the Pakistani forces. The organisation's tactics have increasingly focused on disrupting supply lines, communication, and military logistics to erode Pakistani operational capacity in destruction of 17 military installations and the seizure of extensive weapons stockpiles have shown the consolidation of their foothold in the region. BLA's campaign throughout the first semester of 2025 shows a well-organised insurgency capable of inflicting both tactical and psychological setbacks on Pakistani fatality figure for Pakistan exceeds 697 army personnel while 36 BLA fighters , including seven Fidayeen fighters, lost their lives in different operations. The combination of high-frequency attacks, special operations, and targeted sabotage has shown the aggressive operational tempo of the has been trying to keep its casualties, especially in the BLA operations, under wraps. The Jaffer express attack and multiple other operations by the BLA have inflicted Pakistan with severe losses. Earlier this year, the BLA announced the unification of multiple Baloch fighter fronts into one strong force with a new combat strategy.- EndsMust Watch IN THIS STORY#India-Pakistan#Pakistan
India.com
5 days ago
- Politics
- India.com
Baloch Liberation Army ambushes military bus travelling from Karachi to Quetta, kill 29 Pakistani soldiers
Baloch Liberation Army ambush military bus travelling from Karachi to Quetta, kill 29 Pakistani soldiers (Picture for representation purpose) The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) and the Baloch Liberation Front (BLF) have targeted Pakistani army soldiers in two separate incidents and killed 39 soldiers. The BLA targeted a bus carrying Pakistani soldiers from Karachi to Quetta in an IED attack, killing 29 Pakistani soldiers. Along with this, the BLF also carried out attacks in Kalat and Jhau and killed 10 others. Fateh Squad attack military bus The BLA claimed it carried out two major attacks on Wednesday, July 16. The most significant attack took place at Nimrag Cross in Kalat, where the Fateh Squad ambushed a military bus travelling from Karachi to Quetta. 29 military personnel were killed and many injured in the attack. The group said civilian qawwali artists were also travelling on the bus but were not the target. It has asked civilians to stay away from military installations and convoys to avoid future attacks. On Wednesday, BLA fighters detonated an IED in the Hazar Ganji area of Quetta, killing two soldiers and injuring seven others. BLA spokesman Jiand Baloch informed about these attacks and described it as the group's war against Pakistani occupation of Balochistan. BLF, another separatist armed group of Balochistan, has also talked about attacks on the Pakistani army .
6 days ago
- Politics
Gunmen fire on a passenger bus in southwestern Pakistan and kill 3 people
QUETTA, Pakistan -- Gunmen opened fire on a passenger bus in southwestern Pakistan on Wednesday, killing at least three people and wounding seven others, police and government officials said. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack in the Kalat district of Balochistan province, where a number of separatist militant groups are seeking independence from Pakistan's government. The bus was traveling from the Balochistan provincial capital of Quetta to the southern port city of Karachi when gunmen opened fire in Kalat and then fled the scene, local police chief Habib Nichari said. Ambulances were transporting the dead and wounded to a nearby hospital, he said. The latest attack came days after gunmen abducted and killed nine people when they stopped two passenger buses on a highway in the Zhob and Loralai districts of Balochistan. Those buses were traveling from Quetta to the eastern Punjab province. Shahid Rind, a spokesman for the Balochistan government, said security forces responded to the latest attack immediately, and an operation was underway to track down the culprits. Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the attack and alleged that Indian-backed separatists were responsible. However, he offered no evidence to back up the claim. Pakistan routinely accuses the outlawed Baloch Liberation Army group of carrying out such attacks. Baluchistan has been the scene of a long-running insurgency in southwestern Pakistan with an array of separatist groups, including the BLA, demanding independence from Pakistan's central government in Islamabad. Although Pakistan says it has quelled the insurgency, violence in the province has persisted.
Winnipeg Free Press
6 days ago
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Gunmen fire on a passenger bus in southwestern Pakistan and kill 3 people
QUETTA, Pakistan (AP) — Gunmen opened fire on a passenger bus in southwestern Pakistan on Wednesday, killing at least three people and wounding seven others, police and government officials said. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack in the Kalat district of Balochistan province, where a number of separatist militant groups are seeking independence from Pakistan's government. The bus was traveling from the Balochistan provincial capital of Quetta to the southern port city of Karachi when gunmen opened fire in Kalat and then fled the scene, local police chief Habib Nichari said. Ambulances were transporting the dead and wounded to a nearby hospital, he said. The latest attack came days after gunmen abducted and killed nine people when they stopped two passenger buses on a highway in the Zhob and Loralai districts of Balochistan. Those buses were traveling from Quetta to the eastern Punjab province. Shahid Rind, a spokesman for the Balochistan government, said security forces responded to the latest attack immediately, and an operation was underway to track down the culprits. Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the attack and alleged that Indian-backed separatists were responsible. However, he offered no evidence to back up the claim. Pakistan routinely accuses the outlawed Baloch Liberation Army group of carrying out such attacks. Baluchistan has been the scene of a long-running insurgency in southwestern Pakistan with an array of separatist groups, including the BLA, demanding independence from Pakistan's central government in Islamabad. Although Pakistan says it has quelled the insurgency, violence in the province has persisted.
