The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) on Saturday said its fighters killed more than 15 Pakistani soldiers during ongoing clashes in Khuzdar district’s Zehri area, which has reportedly been under the control of “pro-independence” armed groups since August.
In a statement, BLA spokesperson Jeeyand Baloch said fighters ambushed a convoy of ten military vehicles in the Anjeera area on Friday, directly hitting four vehicles and destroying two. He said the attack resulted in “over fifteen enemy personnel eliminated.”
The group said fighting entered a second day on Saturday in Gazzan, Anjeera and surrounding areas, adding that repeated Pakistani military advances had been repelled.
“For the past 47 days, repeated enemy advances have been repelled and the forces forced to retreat,” the statement said. The BLA added that a more detailed statement on the operation would be released later.
Armed Control of Zehri
The latest clashes come seven weeks after the Baloch Raaji Aajoi Sangar (BRAS), an alliance of armed groups, declared control of Zehri. On 11 August, BRAS said its fighters ambushed a convoy of 13 military vehicles, killing 37 soldiers and seizing vehicles, weapons and equipment.
Local sources said Pakistani troops suffered heavy losses and that some soldiers sought refuge in civilian homes using women and children as human shields, but were later killed or injured as fighting spread around the town.
Since then, Pakistani forces have mounted several attempts to retake the area but have faced repeated ambushes. Local sources say convoys have been forced to withdraw on multiple occasions.
With ground operations suffering losses, the Pakistani military has carried out multiple airstrikes around Zehri.
Earlier this month, a drone strike near Tarasani killed three people, including two women, and injured five others, according to local sources. The Pakistani military’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said it had targeted hideouts of armed groups in an intelligence-based operation.
However, residents and rights groups said civilians returning from a condolence gathering were among the casualties. Analysts warn that such tactics risk deepening anger in the region and could further fuel support for armed groups.