A Pakistani forces’ camp in Balochistan’s Chagai district came under a major attack on Sunday evening after a “suicide bomber detonated himself” at the main entrance of the Frontier Corps Headquarters in Nokundi, Security officials said.
Officials added that firing was still under way inside the facility after the initial explosion. They did not release any casualty figures.
Initial reports said a “bomber blew himself” up at the main gate, after which several armed assailants entered the camp. Local sources said continuous gunfire and multiple explosions were heard for more than an hour and that clashes were still ongoing at the time of reporting.
No group initially claimed responsibility. However, late on Sunday, the Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) said a sub-unit of the group had launched a “heavy attack” on what it described as the central compound used by foreign staff involved in the Reko Diq and Saindak mining projects in Nokundi.
The group said the operation was ongoing and that a detailed statement would be issued after its conclusion. Pakistani authorities have not commented on the BLF claim.
The latest attack comes amid a wider wave of armed activity across Balochistan over the past 24 hours, during which armed groups targeted Pakistani forces with IED blasts, ambushes and assaults on checkpoints in several districts.
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Analysts say the recent string of attacks indicates that Baloch armed groups retain the ability to strike “where and when they choose”, despite extensive security measures. They noted that internet services, transport routes and several urban centres were shut down in recent days in an effort to prevent attacks, yet armed groups were still able to mount operations in multiple regions.
Chagai district, where the attack is under way, is home to the Reko Diq copper-and-gold deposits, among the world’s largest undeveloped reserves and a central part of Pakistan’s mining and investment plans.