The Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) has claimed responsibility for two separate attacks targeting Pakistani military personnel in Awaran, Balochistan, resulting in the deaths of five soldiers and the injury of four others.
In a statement, BLF spokesperson Major Gwahram Baloch said that the first attack took place on September 14, when BLF fighters launched an assault on the Pakistani military headquarters in Awaran’s main bazaar.
According to the spokesperson, the fighters carried out a coordinated attack using heavy weaponry from two directions. The assault, which lasted for 20 minutes, reportedly killed four military personnel and left three others critically injured.
Major Gwahram Baloch claimed that high-ranking military officers, including Brigadier Hassan Mehdi, Deputy Commandant Ghazanfar Ali, and Wing Commander Colonel Adeel, were present at the headquarters during the attack. He said the officers were playing cricket with their troops when the fighters launched the assault.
The second attack, according to the BLF statement, occurred on the morning of September 15, when BLF fighters targeted security personnel overseeing the construction of the Awaran-Mashkay link road. One soldier was killed and another was injured in this assault.
In its statement, the BLF accused Brigadier Hassan Mehdi of leading military operations in the region, which the group claims included the “burning of civilian homes and the mobilization of death squads.” The BLF also alleged that Mehdi was responsible for the recent arrest of women in Awaran, as well as blackmailing civil employees to use them against the Baloch national liberation movement.
Following the attacks, the Pakistani military reportedly sealed off the area, imposing a blockade around Awaran and restricting civilian movement in and out of the city. The BLF accused the military of harassing local residents during the blockade.
The BLF issued a warning, stating that anyone found collaborating with the military or monitoring the group’s activities would be treated as an enemy. The group reiterated its commitment to continuing its armed struggle for an independent Balochistan, calling for increased support from the Baloch people in their resistance against what they describe as “occupying forces.”