QUETTA, March 3 – Militant groups in Balochistan have openly taken responsibility for a series of brazen assaults on Pakistani military and police targets, vowing to intensify their fight for independence. The attacks, which inflicted heavy casualties and damage, signal a sharp escalation in the province’s long-simmering insurgency.
The Baloch Liberation Front (BLF) struck first in Gwadar district’s Shadi Kaur Dam area, unleashing a ferocious barrage from light machine guns, rockets, and automatic weapons on a Pakistani military camp. BLF spokesperson Major Gwaharam Baloch confirmed the operation, stating that fighters attacked from multiple directions. ‘Two soldiers were killed, several others wounded, and the camp’s infrastructure lay in ruins,’ he declared.
In a separate but equally devastating strike, BLF fighters targeted the Frontier Corps main camp in Kohlu district’s Lond Nausham region. Describing it as a ‘coordinated and intense’ assault, the group said its militants surrounded the facility and fired rockets and automatic weapons, with several projectiles landing inside the compound. ‘Massive damage to equipment and supplies ensued,’ the statement read.
The Baloch Republican Guards (BRG) also joined the fray, ambushing a police patrol near Mir Hasan police station in Nasirabad district. BRG spokesperson Dostain Baloch revealed that fighters detonated a remote-controlled improvised explosive device as a police vehicle passed, killing officers and wrecking the vehicle.
Meanwhile, the United Baloch Army (UBA) claimed responsibility for downing a Pakistani military surveillance tower in Kacchi district’s Mach area on March 1 evening. UBA spokesperson Mazar Baloch said the tower, equipped with four cameras to monitor fighter movements and detect attacks, was completely destroyed between Ab-e-Gam and Geshani near a key army camp. ‘The cameras are now totally non-functional,’ he asserted.
These groups frame their actions as vital steps toward Balochistan’s liberation from Pakistani control. Coming after the Baloch Liberation Army’s (BLA) launch of ‘Operation Herof’ Phase 2 on January 31, the incidents underscore a surge in anti-military operations across the resource-rich province, raising alarms about Pakistan’s grip on the region.