In two separate incidents in Balochistan, armed assailants blocked a major highway in Nushki and attacked a dam construction site in Khuzdar late Thursday and early Friday.
In Nushki’s Zareen forest area, armed individuals reportedly blocked a major highway on Thursday night, seizing control of a Levies checkpoint and confiscating weapons.
Local sources said the blockade lasted several hours, during which vehicles were stopped and searched. Five employees of a construction company were reportedly detained and taken to an undisclosed location.
Witnesses said that the assailants seized weapons and other military equipment from the Levies personnel stationed at the checkpoint. Authorities have not commented on the incident, and no group has claimed responsibility.
In a similar operation earlier this year, fighters of the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) blocked a highway near Nushki, identifying and killing nine individuals traveling on buses. The BLA claimed they were “agents” of Pakistani intelligence agencies targeted based on prior intelligence.
Meanwhile, in Khuzdar, unidentified attackers targeted a dam construction site in the Naawa area early Friday. Local sources said that the attackers set fire to heavy machinery, including excavators, dumpers, and bulldozers, before fleeing the scene. Security forces arrived after the attack, but no group has claimed responsibility.
The attacks are the latest in a series of escalating assaults targeting security forces, infrastructure, and resource-based projects in Balochistan. Armed groups in the region have intensified operations in recent months, frequently targeting key highways, construction projects, and military installations.
In August, the BLA launched “Operation Herof,” a large-scale campaign targeting highways, military installations, and resource-transporting vehicles. The group claimed that over 50 state personnel were killed during the operation, which it described as “only the beginning” of intensified operations.
Earlier this month, on November 9, a suicide bombing at Quetta Railway Station killed 31 non-commissioned officers and injured more than 60. The attack was claimed by the BLA’s Majeed Brigade.
On November 13, the Baloch Raaji Aajoi Sangar (BRAS), a coalition of Baloch armed groups, conducted 45 coordinated attacks across Balochistan to mark Baloch Martyrs’ Day. BRAS claimed to have killed 20 Pakistani soldiers during these operations.
Most recently, on November 15, the BLA attacked a central Frontier Corps camp in the Shah Mardan area of Kalat. The assault included the seizure of outposts and military weapons. While Pakistani officials reported eight fatalities and 17 injuries among military personnel, the BLA claimed it killed 29 soldiers during the operation.
Following the Kalat attack, the BLA vowed to continue its operations. “The BLA will continue its recent series of intense and large-scale attacks, gradually increasing their scale,” the group said in a statement.