Violence has escalated sharply in Pakistan’s Balochistan province after the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for killing 25 Pakistani military personnel across two separate attacks, according to Republic World. The separatist organization stated that its elite Fateh Squad ambushed a military convoy at Ziarat Cross, targeting four vehicles. According to the BLA, the ambush destroyed two vehicles—including a military truck—and left 18 military personnel dead. Five additional personnel were reported injured but managed to escape from the site, while the attackers seized weapons from the convoy, as detailed by Firstpost.
Balochistan Liberation Army Claims Responsibility for Attacks
In a separate incident in the Hajika area of Surab, the BLA reported that its Special Tactical Operations Squad (STOS) carried out a second assault. In that attack, the group used a remote-controlled vehicle-borne explosive device to target a Pakistani military vehicle. According to the separatist organization, the resulting blast destroyed the vehicle and killed seven more military personnel, bringing the total claimed fatalities to 25. Neither the casualty figures nor the specific details of either attack have been independently verified, and Pakistani authorities have not publicly released details or confirmed the reported military casualties, as noted by Dynamite News.
Propaganda Videos and Past Insurgent Operations
Following the Ziarat Cross ambush, the BLA’s media outlet, Hakkal, released a cinematic-style video trailer lasting one minute and 11 seconds. The footage purportedly shows the aftermath of the attack, featuring armed fighters near burning military vehicles, visible bodies at the site, and weapons being displayed, according to PTC News. The separatist group indicated that a longer version of the video footage would be released at a later date. The authenticity of the video and the claims surrounding it could not be independently authenticated.
The Fateh Squad has previously been linked by observers and past reports to major high-risk guerrilla operations and ambushes in the region, including the March 2025 hijacking of the Jaffar Express passenger train. The current escalation also follows earlier notable actions by the BLA, such as its 2024 ‘Operation Herof’, during which the group targeted transport links and security infrastructure, including sections of the Karachi-Quetta highway and a railway station in Mastung.
Pakistani Military Launches Counter-Offensive Operations
In response to the surge in violence, Pakistan’s military initiated a major security operation across the province. The military announced that its forces killed 48 militants during intelligence-based raids conducted over a 72-hour period in districts including Mastung, Sibi, Quetta, and Kalat. According to the military, those targeted and killed during the raids included members of outlawed groups such as the BLA and Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
This tit-for-tat violence highlights the ongoing security crisis in Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest province by area. Baloch separatist groups have waged a long-running insurgency against Islamabad, accusing authorities of political marginalisation, rights violations, and enforced disappearances while demanding greater autonomy or complete independence. Meanwhile, the Pakistani state maintains that militant organizations are entirely responsible for ongoing instability and attacks against security forces and strategic infrastructure in the region.
