At least four people were killed in a Pakistani military drone strike in the Zehri area of Khuzdar district, Balochistan, local sources said on Wednesday.
The strike hit the Noorgama area, where civilians were sitting near farmland when they were targeted, according to residents. Electricity, communications and other services remain disrupted in the area, while security forces continue heavy deployments.
Pakistani ground convoys, backed by armored vehicles and hundreds of personnel, are being supported by aerial assets including drones and helicopters. Commandos have reportedly been deployed to strategic hilly areas to assist the operation.
The latest strike follows bombings with jets and drones in two separate locations in Zehri last month. At least seven people, including two women, were killed and five others injured in those attacks.
The developments come after the Baloch Raaji Aajoi Sangar (BRAS), an alliance of Baloch armed groups, declared control of Zehri on 11 August after a large-scale assault. The group said its fighters killed 37 Pakistani soldiers in ambushes on military convoys and seized vehicles and weapons.
Last week, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) said more than 15 Pakistani soldiers were killed when its fighters ambushed a ten-vehicle convoy in the Anjeera area. The group said repeated military advances had been repelled for more than 47 days, forcing troops to retreat.
Analysts say the Pakistani military’s reliance on drone and jet strikes underscores its inability to re-establish control on the ground in Zehri, despite weeks of operations. The strikes have caused civilian casualties but rarely succeed in dislodging fighters, who remain in control of the town and able to mount ambushes on convoys.
They argue that the armed groups’ hold on Zehri for nearly two months is a notable development, demonstrating their ability to sustain control despite repeated military advances. They add that such tactics could soon be extended to other parts of Balochistan, where state authority is already fragile, as Baloch armed groups attempt to expand their territorial control.