Pakistani forces came under a series of coordinated attacks across Balochistan on Thursday and Friday, as the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) released five police officers detained during its armed takeover of Mangochar city.
In a statement issued on Friday, BLA spokesperson Jeeyand Baloch confirmed the release of ASI Ghulam Sarwar, Faraz Ali, Rafiq Ahmed Channa, Muhammad Nasir, and Faraz Ahmed. The officers were taken into custody last week by the group’s “Fateh Squad” during an operation in Mangochar, Kalat district.
The BLA said its fighters had seized control of government buildings and blocked the Karachi-Quetta highway during the operation. The release of the police officers, the group said, was “not a sign of weakness or compromise,” but a reflection of the group’s “moral superiority, political maturity and strategy.”
“This is a door we have left open — an opportunity that we have given,” the statement read. “But if the police continue their current behaviour, we will see you with the same eyes that we see the enemy, and the consequences will be accordingly.”
Addressing Baloch individuals serving in Pakistani security institutions, the BLA warned: “We do not want to shoot you, but you must decide whether you will become part of the enemy’s gun or remain neutral in the struggle for the survival of the Baloch nation.”
The group added: “We know many Baloch, despite being in uniform, harbour hatred against colonial oppression. But if you keep your gun in the enemy’s ranks, then your identity is not Baloch, but a continuation of the uniform of the occupier.”
BLF claims air force attack in Chaghi
Meanwhile, the Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) claimed responsibility for the killing of two Pakistan Air Force personnel in Chaghi district on Thursday.
In a statement, BLF spokesperson Major Gwahram Baloch said fighters ambushed the air force personnel in the Killi Dadvi area as they returned to their camp from the local market.
The group identified the deceased as Muhammad Tahir from Rawalpindi and Muhammad Shafiq from Talagang. Both were reportedly stationed at a radar facility in the area.
The BLF said its fighters withdrew safely after the attack.
Attacks in Quetta
In Quetta, the capital of Balochistan, Pakistani forces were targeted in a series of coordinated attacks late on Thursday.
Explosions and gunfire were reported at the Frontier Corps (FC) headquarters and at a checkpoint on Qambarani Road. Additional attacks were reported in Hazara Town and near the Burma Hotel, where a grenade was reportedly thrown at an Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) camp.
Authorities have not commented, and no group has claimed responsibility for the attacks so far.
Forces ambushed in Tump
In Kech district’s Tump tehsil, Pakistani forces came under fire while conducting an operation. Local sources said armed fighters ambushed a convoy, inflicting casualties. Ambulances were seen entering and leaving the area, but no official figures have been released so far.
Following the ambush, mortar shelling was reported in the region.
Turbat and Mastung: Military and mineral targets hit
In Turbat’s Dhihat area, a military post along the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) route was attacked. Explosions and gunfire were reported, and sources claimed casualties and equipment damage.
In Mastung district, six trucks carrying chromite and other minerals were attacked in Khadkocha on Friday. The vehicles were damaged, although no casualties were reported. A similar incident in Choto the day before was claimed by the BLA, which accused the state of “plundering” Balochistan’s resources.