At least five paramilitary personnel were killed and six others injured in a roadside bomb attack targeting a security convoy in Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province on Tuesday, according to security sources.
The incident occurred around 11:45 a.m. local time (0645 GMT) in the Kachhi district, when an improvised explosive device (IED) struck a Frontier Corps convoy engaged in routine movement. The blast impacted one of the six vehicles in the convoy, resulting in significant casualties.
Security forces swiftly cordoned off the area and launched a search operation to track down those responsible for the attack. The injured personnel were transported to nearby medical facilities, with several reported to be in critical condition.
While no group has formally claimed responsibility, local security officials noted that the Balochistan Liberation Army-Azad faction (BLA-A) has a strong operational presence in the area. Multiple smaller insurgent groups are also believed to be active in the region.
This latest attack comes on the heels of a major assault last week by the Fateh Squad of the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) in the Mongochar area of Kalat district. During that operation, militants reportedly took over the local market and set fire to several government installations, including the offices of the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), the Judicial Complex, and a branch of the National Bank of Pakistan.
Security sources reported that the militants blocked the Quetta-Karachi highway during the attack, halting traffic and searching several vehicles, including passenger buses. The attackers fled the scene before security forces could arrive.
The BLA’s Fateh Squad later claimed responsibility for the Mongochar assault, describing it as part of their ongoing armed campaign, which they refer to as a “struggle for liberation.”
Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest but least developed province, has long grappled with a low-intensity insurgency fueled by nationalist groups demanding greater autonomy and control over the region’s natural resources.
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