Pakistan’s security forces have reportedly launched a military operation across different areas of Balochistan, as tensions continue to escalate in the region. On Monday evening, parts of Surab district and the Zehri tehsil of Khuzdar were declared “sensitive” by local authorities, while military operations were reported to be underway in multiple areas.
According to a statement issued by the Assistant Commissioner of Zehri, precautionary measures have been taken in response to potential threats in the areas of Anjeera, Najjeera, Archino, Garm-aap, Gazzan, and Balbal, along with adjacent villages. Residents have been advised to avoid travelling to the affected or surrounding mountainous regions unnecessarily.
Sources on the ground report that over 40 military vehicles and a substantial number of personnel are involved in the operation. These actions are part of Pakistan’s ongoing military campaign to counter the decades-long Baloch nationalist movement, which calls for the independence of Balochistan from Pakistan.
In a separate but possibly related development, a group of armed men established blockades in the Rarhsham area of Barkhan district. Eyewitnesses say the militants have set up makeshift checkpoints and are rigorously inspecting vehicles entering and exiting the area.
Meanwhile, in Kachhi district, unidentified gunmen stormed a Levies checkpost, seizing control and reportedly taking official weapons and equipment. No group has yet claimed responsibility for these acts.
These events follow a recent surge in coordinated militant activities across Balochistan. In recent weeks, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for over 70 attacks across 51 locations, targeting military convoys, checkpoints, intelligence offices, mining transport vehicles, and so-called “death squads”. The BLA described the wave of assaults as part of its military exercises under “Operation Herof”.
Although no group has claimed Today’s incidents in Barkhan and Kachhi, they are widely seen as part of the broader armed independence movement that has gripped the province for over two decades. The Baloch nationalist movement, which seeks independence, accuses the Pakistani state of exploitation, marginalisation, and brutal suppression. In response, the Pakistan Army has routinely carried out counterinsurgency operations—often criticised by human rights groups for leading to enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and the displacement of civilians.
As the conflict persists, civilians remain caught in the crossfire, with security restrictions tightening and mistrust between the local population and the state deepening.