In recent years, the Baloch insurgency has heightened, with armed groups striving for independence, launching assaults on major targets in Pakistan’s military and economic hubs. Over 350 fighters of the Majeed Brigade of Baloch Liberation Army, Fateh Squad, Intelligence Unit, and Special Tactical Operations Squad seized control of a main highway and Mach city, located just a few kilometers from the capital city of Balochistan, Quetta. This control endured for two days, underscoring a substantial increase in the organization’s military capability.
For the first time in two decades, a Baloch armed group captured eighty kilometers of territory, including a town, marking a significant event in the history of the Baloch insurgency. Previously, Baloch armed groups engaged in traditional guerrilla warfare, but the Mach attack signals a shift as Baloch organizations prepare for a more conventional war against the Pakistan Army. The Baloch Liberation Army’s intensive and intricate attacks suggest that similar assaults may escalate in the major cities of Balochistan and Pakistan in the near future.
Over time, the Baloch Liberation Army has revamped its organizational strategies, transforming the landscape of Baloch warfare by executing both traditional guerrilla attacks and large-scale fidai and complex assaults. With BLA’s Operation Dara-e-Bolan and over 60 coordinated attacks by BRAS spanning Balochistan, Sindh, and Punjab over two days, it is evident that the intensity of the war in Balochistan will escalate.