Fighter jets of the Pakistan Air Force reportedly carried out airstrikes in parts of Mach, in Balochistan’s Bolan region, on Tuesday afternoon.
According to residents of nearby regions and posts circulating on social media, the bombardment targeted mountainous areas in Gonipara, as well as adjoining locations of Urdu Bagh and Dhadar.
The Balochistan Post could not independently verify the reports. No official statement has been issued by Pakistan’s military media wing, ISPR, or by any of the Baloch armed groups.
Pakistani officials have long dismissed claims that fighter jets are used in operations in Balochistan, and continue to characterize the conflict as a low-intensity insurgency. However, analysts argue that the scale and coordination of attacks by Baloch armed groups in recent years have already pushed the region far beyond that description.
Air power has rarely been acknowledged in Balochistan where the Pakistani military prefers to present its operations as limited and targeted, but analysts say that if the use of fighter jets is confirmed it would suggest Islamabad now views the conflict as a conventional war even if it does not admit it publicly.