In a series of confrontations in Balochistan, ten Pakistani soldiers and two members of the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) lost their lives. Both the BLA and the Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF), separatist groups fighting for Balochistan’s independence, have claimed responsibility for the attacks.
In the Kech district’s Turbat region, a vehicle carrying Pakistani forces was ambushed en route to an under-construction dam site in the Geshkor area on Monday. This attack reportedly left three Pakistani soldiers dead, with several more sustaining injuries. Jeeyand Baloch, the BLA’s spokesperson, acknowledged the attack in a media statement.
The BLA statement also detailed an incident from Friday, October 6, 2023. After a drone strike on a temporary camp, Pakistani troops reportedly attempted to encircle BLA fighters near ‘Samaan-e-Kaor’ in Turbat. The BLA claims its fighters managed to break the encirclement using “professional tactical measures”, culminating in intense battles at multiple locations.
These skirmishes led to an additional five Pakistani soldiers dead and seven injured. Conversely, two BLA members, Comrade Maqsood (known also as Comrade Mehrwaan) and Muslim Raza (alias Guru Jabbar), lost their lives.
Jeeyand Baloch, the spokesperson for BLA, further elaborated on the history of the fallen BLA fighters. Comrade Maqsood, prior to joining the BLA, was active in student politics through the Baloch Student Organization. Meanwhile, Muslim Raza, noted for his guerrilla warfare acumen, had been preparing for a ‘self-sacrificing’ mission with the BLA’s Majeed Brigade.
In separate attacks, the BLF claimed responsibility for assaults on security posts in Awaran and Kech, where they allege two soldiers were killed and several others injured. Major Gwahram, the BLF spokesperson, stated that their fighters targeted Pakistani forces in the Mashkay area of Awaran and the Tump area of Kech on October 8. The BLF also claims to have executed Ejaz, accusing him of anti-national activities and affiliations with the Pakistani army.
Both the BLA and BLF reaffirmed their determination to continue their struggle against what they term as “occupying forces” until the liberation of Balochistan is achieved.