Three Pakistani army personnel, including a major, were killed and three others injured in a bomb blast on Tuesday night in Balochistan’s Nushki district. The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has claimed responsibility for the attack.
According to sources, the attack took place around 8:00pm when a roadside improvised explosive device (IED) targeted a bulletproof military vehicle in the Gargina area of Nushki.
The deceased have been identified as Major Rizwan, Naib Subedar Ameen, and Lance Naik Younis, while three others were seriously injured.
In a statement released after the incident, BLA spokesperson Jeeyand Baloch said the group had carried out an “intelligence-based operation” in the Gargina area. He claimed that BLA fighters used a remote-controlled IED to target Major Rizwan’s convoy, based on information provided by the group’s intelligence wing, “ZIRAB.
“The Baloch Liberation Army claims full responsibility for this attack,” the statement read.
The Pakistan Army has not yet released an official response.
The Nushki bombing is the latest in a series of high-intensity attacks in Balochistan. Since mid-July, at least four military officers of major rank have been killed in separate operations.
In Awaran district, Major Syed Rabnawaz Tariq was killed in an ambush claimed by the Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF). In Quetta, Major Anwar Kakar died in a magnetic bomb blast near Jabal-e-Noor, carried out by the BLA’s Special Tactical Operations Squad (STOS). In Mastung, prolonged clashes between BLA fighters and Pakistani forces resulted in the death of Major Zaid Saleem.
Observers say that the targeting of officers at this level suggests Baloch armed groups have expanded their operational and intelligence capabilities and are now also in a position to exert psychological pressure on the military.