Transport associations in Balochistan have announced the suspension of mineral loading operations following a series of attacks on vehicles transporting minerals across different parts of the region, citing growing insecurity and financial losses faced by truck owners.
A joint meeting of the Balochistan Goods Truck Owners Association and the All Balochistan Mini Mazda Goods Truck Owners Association was held with the participation of truck owners from across Balochistan.
During the meeting, participants expressed serious concern over recent attacks targeting mineral-carrying trucks in Mastung, Kharan, Noshki, Chagai and other areas of Balochistan.
Leaders of both transport associations and truck owners stated that dozens of trucks had been damaged in the recent attacks, creating major difficulties in the transportation and supply of minerals from Balochistan to other parts of Pakistan.
In light of the current security situation, the associations instructed transporters and truck owners not to load minerals onto vehicles until further notice. They added that additional announcements and future plans would be shared during a press conference scheduled for Tuesday.
The announcement follows a wave of recent attacks targeting mineral transport convoys and the Pakistani security personnel assigned to protect them along routes linking Balochistan with Karachi and Punjab.
Last week, in Noshki district, more than twenty trailer trucks carrying gold and other minerals from the Saindak mining project reportedly came under attack by a large group of armed men. According to local reports, rockets and other heavy weapons were used during the assault, resulting in the destruction of at least eight vehicles.
Reports further stated that more than six Pakistani security personnel were killed during the attack.
Separate incidents were also reported in Kharan and Mastung, where two mineral-carrying vehicles in Kharan and three in Mastung were reportedly set on fire by unidentified armed men.
In another incident linked to the deteriorating security situation, three non-local employees associated with a mineral extraction company operating near Dalbandin were reportedly abducted by armed men. Their bodies were later recovered in Chagai district.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a Baloch “pro-independence” armed group, claimed responsibility for several of the attacks. In statements issued to media outlets, the organisation said it had targeted vehicles and security personnel allegedly involved in the extraction and transportation of Balochistan’s natural resources.
A spokesperson for the group, identified as Jeeyand Baloch, claimed that the BLA had established “complete control” over the Quetta–Taftan highway and warned that trucks, trailers or convoys transporting minerals and resources from Balochistan would not be allowed to pass through the area.
The spokesperson further warned that companies, contractors and transporters participating in mineral extraction and transportation projects would themselves be responsible for any financial or human losses resulting from future attacks.
Pakistani authorities have not accepted the group’s claims and maintain that security forces are conducting operations to secure highways, protect infrastructure and safeguard economic projects from militant violence.
Balochistan, the largest and resource-rich region, controlled by Pakistan has witnessed a long-running insurgency involving armed groups, which accuse the state and external companies of exploiting local resources without adequately benefiting the local population. Pakistani officials reject these allegations.