Armed assailants have intensified their operations in Balochistan, with coordinated attacks and highway blockades reported in the Surab and Kech districts on Thursday. These incidents underscore the persistent volatility in Pakistan's restive southwestern province, where separatist groups frequently target security forces and infrastructure.

In Surab, unidentified gunmen erected roadblocks on the vital Karachi-Quetta N-25 National Highway, conducting snap inspections on passing vehicles. A police convoy responding to the blockade encountered heavy fire, sparking a fierce clash.

During the exchange, an armoured police vehicle was destroyed in a powerful explosion, resulting in the death of Constable Khalil Ahmed. Local reports indicate the attackers vanished into the rugged terrain before reinforcements could arrive.

The assault in Surab highlights the tactical sophistication of the militants, who exploited the highway's strategic importance for commerce and military movement. No group has yet claimed responsibility, though the modus operandi mirrors tactics employed by Baloch insurgent outfits. Authorities have launched extensive search operations, but the area's mountainous landscape continues to shield perpetrators.

Meanwhile, in Kech district near Turbat, armed men launched a brazen raid on a police station along the Zubaida Jalal Highway in the Kalatuk area. The attackers overpowered the stationed personnel, briefly detaining them before confiscating weapons and setting the facility ablaze. Surveillance cameras were destroyed, and the structure sustained significant damage, hampering immediate investigations.

The militants then established roadblocks on the highway, subjecting travellers to checks for approximately two hours. A Pakistani military convoy's arrival prompted another round of gunfire, though casualty figures from this skirmish remain unconfirmed. The swift military response suggests heightened alertness amid rising tensions, yet the attackers evaded capture.

These back-to-back strikes expose vulnerabilities in Balochistan's security apparatus, particularly along key transport arteries that form the backbone of Pakistan's China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The province has long grappled with low-intensity insurgency, fuelled by grievances over resource exploitation and marginalisation of the ethnic Baloch population.

Compounding the immediate threats, the Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) issued a statement on 26 February claiming a spate of earlier attacks. On 24 February, BLF fighters reportedly stormed an army checkpost in the Dokhani area of Kulanch, Pasni, asserting they killed five soldiers and wounded several others.

The group further boasted of hitting security outposts on Gazzi Road in Kharan and along the CPEC route in Singai, Dasht, inflicting casualties and structural damage. In Zamuran, BLF operatives intercepted a supply vehicle en route from Niwano to Gesherdan, seizing food rations and materiel intended for security forces.

Such claims by the BLF align with a surge in insurgent activity this year, as groups intensify efforts to disrupt CPEC projects and challenge Islamabad's control. Pakistani officials have dismissed the assertions as propaganda, but independent verification remains elusive amid restricted media access.

Local authorities in both Surab and Kech have confirmed the Thursday incidents and initiated cordon-and-search operations. However, past patterns suggest limited success in apprehending culprits, given the insurgents' intimate knowledge of the terrain and alleged local sympathies.

These events occur against a backdrop of escalating Baloch militancy, with groups like the BLF rejecting peace overtures and demanding greater autonomy or outright independence. The death of Constable Khalil Ahmed marks at least one confirmed fatality, but the true toll may climb as details emerge.

Pakistan's military has ramped up deployments in Balochistan, yet the hit-and-run tactics employed by insurgents continue to strain resources. International observers note that unresolved political grievances exacerbate the cycle of violence, potentially drawing in external actors amid regional geopolitical flux.

As search efforts persist, residents in affected areas report heightened fear, with normal traffic disrupted and businesses paralysed. The incidents serve as a stark reminder of Balochistan's fragility, where economic potential clashes with deep-seated unrest.

ANI