Three improvised explosive device (IED) attacks have struck Pakistani military convoys in the Kalat and Kech districts of Balochistan, according to local sources.
The blasts took place in the Manguchar area of Kalat and the Kolwah area of Kech while military convoys were on the move. Reports suggest there were casualties, but Pakistani authorities have not yet issued any official statement regarding the number of deaths or injuries.
Following the explosions, Pakistani forces cordoned off the areas and launched search operations.
Meanwhile, Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attacks in Kalat. In a statement issued on Saturday, BLA spokesperson Jeeyand Baloch said the group’s fighters had targeted a Pakistani army convoy in Manguchar with two remote-controlled IEDs.
“After the initial blast, reinforcements from the Pakistani army arrived at the scene. As they were returning, the same convoy was hit by another remote-controlled IED,” the BLA spokesperson said.
The BLA claimed that at least five Pakistani soldiers were killed and nine others injured in the attacks. Two military vehicles were reportedly damaged.
In a separate operation, the BLA said its fighters destroyed two surveillance cameras installed by Pakistani forces in the Gat-e-Kor area of Kolwah on 22 May.
The BLA, one of the most active armed groups in Balochistan, has carried out a series of IED attacks in recent months.
In early May, the group said it conducted two IED blasts in Bolan and Kech districts, killing 14 Pakistani military personnel.
In April, the BLA claimed eight IED attacks across Gwadar, Turbat, Panjgur, Dasht, Tigraan, Margat, and Pasni. The group also claimed 11 IED blasts in March, including high-profile attacks on the Jaffar Express train, a military bus in Nushki, and a convoy in Kalat’s Harboi area.
A report published on Thursday by the UK-based non-governmental organization Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) ranked Pakistan seventh among countries most affected by explosive weapons in 2024.
The report highlighted that the Baloch Liberation Army remains one of the most active non-state groups using explosive weapons in Pakistan.
The AOAV report said that all suicide attacks in Pakistan during 2024 were carried out by non-state actors, including the BLA. While the BLA was responsible for only two percent of the nine suicide attacks recorded in 2024, it accounted for 89 percent of the total casualties, resulting in 92 deaths.
The ongoing conflict in Balochistan has claimed thousands of lives over the past two decades. The BLA has repeatedly called for international support to end the conflict, arguing that an independent Balochistan would stabilize the region, stop what it describes as Pakistan’s “export of terrorism,” and foster peace and prosperity.
The group said it would continue its armed resistance but warned that delays in international action would lead to further bloodshed and instability.