Seven Pakistani soldiers killed in IED attack by BLA in Balochistan

Seven Pakistani army personnel, including a special operations commander, were killed in a Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) IED attack in Bolan district. 

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Balochistan: In a major blow to the Pakistani military, seven army personnel, including a senior special operations commander, were killed and five others injured in an improvised explosive device (IED) attack carried out by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) in the Geshtri area of Bolan district.

According to security sources, the Pakistan Army vehicle was ambushed while it was traveling between Amir Post and Ali Khan Base. The explosion resulted in significant casualties among the soldiers onboard.

The deceased include Special Operations Commander Tariq Imran, along with other soldiers identified as:

Naik Asif (135 W)

Subedar Farooq (135 W)

Naik Mashkoor (135 W)

Sepoy Wajid (135 W)

Sepoy Kashif (135 W)

The attack also left several soldiers injured, identified as:

Sepoy Zeeshan (135 W)

Sepoy Shadman (135 W)

Naik Awais (135 W)

Sepoy Zainullah (Special Operations Command)

Sepoy Tayyab (Special Operations Command)

This tragic event comes on the heels of a recent attack on a prison van in Balochistan, where five police officers were taken hostage by separatist militants. The militants, reportedly from the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), intercepted the police-escorted prison transport on a key highway, freeing prisoners and abducting the police officers.

According to police officials, the attackers also set fire to several government buildings and a bank in the area. Security forces managed to kill two of the militants during the confrontation. A rescue operation is currently underway to locate the abducted police officers.

Balochistan has long been plagued by a separatist insurgency, with militants frequently targeting state personnel, foreign nationals, and settlers from other regions. The BLA, the most active separatist group in the region, has claimed responsibility for the latest attack in Kalat district.

The group has previously targeted infrastructure and energy projects with foreign investment, particularly those backed by China. In a similar incident in March, the BLA hijacked a passenger train, taking hundreds hostage and killing off-duty security personnel during a three-day standoff.

In April, a powerful roadside bomb exploded near a vehicle carrying security personnel in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan, killing four troops and wounding three others.