Three Baloch “pro-independence” armed groups, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) and Baloch Republican Guards (BRG), have claimed responsibility for a series of attacks targeting Pakistani armed forces and infrastructure across Balochistan and Sindh over the past week, reporting the deaths of at least 19 Pakistani military personnel and the destruction of vehicles, supply lines, communication towers and quadcopters.
BLA Says 12 Soldiers Killed, Three Fighters Dead in Clashes
In a statement on Tuesday, the Baloch Liberation Army said its fighters carried out attacks in Panjgur, Kech, Quetta, Kachi and Buleda between 9 and 15 December, killing 12 Pakistani military personnel while three BLA fighters were killed in the clashes.
The group said its fighters briefly took control of government buildings in Panjgur city on Monday, engaging Pakistani forces as they attempted to advance into the area but “were forced to retreat” after coming under fire. A Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) officer was killed and two others were injured, the statement said, adding that fighters held their positions for two hours before withdrawing “as planned”.
The group also claimed responsibility for destroying three vehicles belonging to the Reko Diq project convoy at Kalat Midway on Tuesday, saying several personnel providing security were injured.
The group said clashes also broke out in the Sechi area of Dasht, Kech district, on 14 December after Pakistani forces attempted to advance into the area. The BLA claimed multiple casualties and said fighters also shot down a military quadcopter during the confrontation.
On 13 December, the BLA said its fighters intercepted vehicles transporting rations for the army in the Mehnaz area of Buleda, seizing the supplies and releasing the drivers with a warning that providing logistical support to the military “falls under the category of direct facilitation”.
The group also claimed an earlier clash on 9 December in the Sunni area of Kachi, where four military personnel were killed during a two-hour exchange. It said one BLA fighter was also killed.
The BLA said another confrontation took place on 14 December in the Daghari area of Quetta, where fighters “traveling for organizational work” were surrounded by Pakistani forces using civilian vehicles. The group said seven Pakistani soldiers were killed and several others injured, while two BLA fighters were also killed.
The BLA identified its three fallen fighters as Sufi Ismail from Kachi, Asmatullah Satakzai from Quetta and Sajjad Zehri from Khuzdar, describing their service histories and saying their deaths “form part of the foundation of this struggle”.
The BLA said its operations will continue to target state installations, military movements and what it describes as “exploitative projects” across Balochistan.
BLF Says Seven Personnel Killed in Four Attacks
In a separate statement, the Balochistan Liberation Front said it carried out four attacks in Mand, Awaran, Turbat and Mashkay on 14 and 15 December, killing seven Pakistani military personnel.
The BLF said two soldiers, including Naik Ghulam Fareed, were killed in an IED attack on a convoy between Rideeg and Mahir in Mand on 15 December.
Later that evening, the group said fighters ambushed a military convoy travelling from Awaran to Gishkour at Wasati Bazaar in Zeik, damaging one vehicle and killing five personnel. The group said troops in the other two vehicles fled the scene.
At around 8 p.m. the same night, BLF fighters carried out a hand-grenade attack on an outpost of a Navy Force checkpoint on the Turbat Overseas Road, injuring personnel stationed at the bunker, the statement said.
The group added that its fighters shot down a quadcopter deployed by Pakistani forces during a mission in the Patandar area of Mashkay on 14 December.
The BLF reiterated that “operations will continue in every corner of Balochistan until the complete withdrawal of occupying forces”.
BRG Says It Targeted Sukkur Express in Shikarpur Blast
Meanwhile, the Baloch Republican Guards (BRG) said its fighters targeted the Sukkur Express with a remote-controlled explosive device near Humayun Sharif in Shikarpur, Sindh.
BRG spokesperson Dostain Baloch said the device was planted alongside the track and detonated as the train passed, causing “severe damage” to the railway line and the train.
The BRG said its operations against what it described as “colonial occupation” would continue.
Pakistani authorities had not issued statements responding to the claims made by the BLA, BLF or BRG at the time of publication.