An explosion targeting a vehicle of an oil and gas company in the Harnai district of Balochistan has resulted in the reported deaths of three people, including two security forces personnel, and injuries to 14 others.
According to reports, the explosion occurred on a truck belonging to Mari Petroleum Company in the Oddi Khan area of Harnai district. Three individuals, including an employee of Mari Petroleum Company and two Pakistani soldiers, lost their lives, while 14 others sustained injuries.
The Levies Force has confirmed the explosion, stating that several of the injured are in critical condition and have been transferred to Quetta for medical treatment. Additionally, regional sources reported the sighting of two military helicopters circling the area following the blast.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a pro-independence Baloch armed group, claimed responsibility for the IED attack through a media statement released on Saturday.
BLA spokesman Jeeyand Baloch asserted that the targeted company has been involved in the exploitation of Baloch resources in Harnai and neighboring areas. The BLA further alleged that the company is partially owned by the Pakistani military.
Jeeyand Baloch reiterated that the BLA will not tolerate any entity exploiting or plundering Baloch resources and warned that those engaged in such activities will be targeted.
Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti strongly condemned the bomb blast in Harnai, labeling it as a “deplorable act of violence.” Bugti directed the home department to furnish a comprehensive report on the incident and instructed for improved medical facilities to be provided to the injured.
Meanwhile, Jeeyand Baloch vowed that the BLA would continue targeting Pakistani “occupying” forces and their “collaborators” until the liberation of Baloch motherland.