Security officials have confirmed casualties following an attack on a Frontier Corps (FC) patrol in Balochistan’s Kalat on Thursday.
According to police, an improvised explosive device (IED) targeted an FC vehicle in the Nechara area, killing one personnel instantly and injuring two others. The deceased and the injured were transported to Kalat for medical attention.
Local sources said that the attack was followed by an armed assault. Military helicopters were seen patrolling the skies over Kalat after the assault.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attack. In a statement, BLA spokesperson Jeeyand Baloch said the group’s fighters had deployed a remote-controlled IED to kill three personnel and later ambushed the remaining forces with automatic weapons, killing four more.
The attack is part of an apparent surge in BLA operations since the beginning of the year. The group claims to have carried out 19 attacks in the past 15 days, including an assault on a military convoy in Turbat and a 10-hour operation in Zehri, where specialized BLA units reportedly seized control of the town briefly.
The BLA has also claimed responsibility for IED attacks in Zamuran and Kalat, along with highway blockades in areas such as Kolpur.
A report by the Islamabad-based think tank, the Pak Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS), revealed that the BLA conducted 12 attacks in December, resulting in 45 fatalities.
The report noted a significant escalation in the group’s operational capabilities and urged the Pakistani government to reassess its counterinsurgency approach to address the growing threat.