Jet aircraft were seen flying over Naal and surrounding areas of Balochistan’s Khuzdar district on Friday morning, a day after armed fighters briefly took control of the town, seizing a police checkpost and a construction company’s camp, and setting up blockades along the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) highway.
Residents said low-flying military aircraft patrolled the mountainous areas between Surgar, Daraj Kaur and Shashan throughout the morning. A powerful explosion was also reported in the Shashan mountains, while fighter jets were seen over Awaran’s Jhao, and heavy ground troop movement was observed nearby.
Initial reports suggested that shelling took place in parts of Naal’s mountainous region; however, no casualties have yet been confirmed. Authorities have not issued an official statement regarding the air activity or reported shelling.
The developments come after a major armed attack on Thursday evening, when a large group of suspected Baloch fighters held control of Naal for nearly five hours.
During the assault, the attackers reportedly stormed a police checkpost, seized weapons and vehicles from police personnel, and set fire to the camp and machinery of a local extractive company. Thirteen people were taken into custody by the armed group before it withdrew.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, although similar assaults in recent months have been claimed by Baloch “pro-independence” armed groups.