The Baloch Raji Aajoi Sangar (BRAS), an alliance of Baloch “pro-independence” armed groups, has claimed responsibility for recent attacks in Noshki and Barkhan districts, claiming the killing of 22 personnel of Pakistan’s security forces. According to a statement released by BRAS spokesperson Baloch Khan, the armed fighters targeted military and paramilitary positions, seizing one central camp and forcing security personnel to retreat during extended clashes.
The group stated that on Monday night, its fighters attacked a major military base in the Gulangor area of Noshki. The assault reportedly began with sniper fire on outer posts, which killed the soldiers stationed there, followed by a heavy offensive that lasted several hours. BRAS claimed its fighters took control of a portion of the camp, and also briefly detained personnel from Levies and Customs forces stationed nearby, releasing them after the operation.
The statement added that military reinforcements arriving in a convoy were ambushed, resulting in the destruction of at least one vehicle and damage to others. BRAS claimed 17 security personnel were killed in this attack and said it had seized weapons and ammunition from the scene. Two of its own members were reported killed during the confrontation.
BRAS identified one of the two slain members as Meeran alias Nazar Jan, son of Ustad Syed and a resident of Dandal Dil-e-Sar, Shapak. He was a fifth-semester student at the Physics department of the University of Balochistan, Quetta. The statement said that Meeran was affiliated with the BRAS member organization Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) since 2022. He had been allegedly forcibly disappeared by Pakistani forces in 2018 and had been illegally detained and tortured for days before being released. His brother, Kamal Jan alias Gulab, was also an active fighter in BRAS and had been killed in a drone strike in February 2022.
The statement said Meeran was moved to the mountainous frontlines in 2022. He served on the Shor Parod, Noshki, and Kharan fronts. BRAS said that due to his combat skills and perseverance, he was appointed camp commander within a short time. He played a key role in successfully executing several operations against the “enemy”, the statement said.
The second fighter killed in the Noshki attack was identified as Yaseen alias Raouf, son of Raheem Bakhsh, a resident of Kishingi, Noshki. He joined the BLA in 2022 and initially operated as an urban guerrilla in Noshki city and surrounding areas before being moved to the mountains in 2023. According to the group, Yaseen served in the Shor Parod, Noshki, and Kharan fronts and was appointed as a patrol commander due to his military capabilities. The statement described him as someone who dedicated all his time to striking the “enemy.”
In a separate incident on April 9 in the Chamalang area of Barkhan, BRAS alleged that Pakistani forces launched a drone strike targeting one of its side camps, followed by a helicopter-borne advance. The group reported that three of its fighters – Ghulam Raza alias Kabeer, Aaqil Hashmi alias Chirag, and Mohsin alias Durra – were killed in the attacks. One of them, Mohsin alias Durra, who was wounded in a drone strike, reportedly held off advancing commandos and killed at least five soldiers before taking his own life after running out of ammunition.
According to BRAS, Aaqil Hashmi alias Chirag alias Professor, son of Hashim, belonged to Shaharak, Kech, and was an MPhil graduate in Political Science from the International Islamic University, Islamabad. He joined the BLA in 2020 after working with the Baloch Students Organization and was serving as the unit commander of the Fatah Squad, a special operations wing within the BLA. The group described him as both a skilled guerrilla and an intellectual leader among fighters.
The BRAS statement said that Ghulam Raza alias Kabeer, son of Ali Gul, was from Holangi Tank in the Ras Koh area of Kharan. He had joined the Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) in 2022 and initially operated as an urban guerrilla before being shifted to the Barkhan front, where he participated in multiple operations.
Mohsin alias Durra, son of Miyar, hailed from Gulshanabad, Turbat. He joined the BLA in 2023 and fought in urban missions in Turbat and surrounding areas before being moved to the mountains in 2024. BRAS described him as someone with strong decision-making abilities in difficult conditions, highlighting that he chose to end his life rather than be captured.
The group said the fighters’ sacrifices and the attacks themselves reflect the commitment of the Baloch people to what BRAS calls the “struggle for national liberation.” It added that these operations were meant to send a clear message that the Baloch armed movement is not retreating from its goal.