The Balochistan Liberation Army claimed responsibility for killing 25 Pakistani army personnel in two separate attacks, marking one of the deadliest escalations in the province in recent months.

The group released a cinematic-style video through its media outlet Hakkal, showing explosions, gunfire, and a Pakistani military truck engulfed in flames. The footage also depicted fighters standing near burning vehicles and seizing weapons from damaged trucks, with bodies lying on the ground.

On Friday, the BLA stated that 18 Pakistani personnel were killed when its Fateh Squad ambushed a military convoy at Ziarat Cross, destroying two vehicles. Five others were injured but managed to escape.

This ambush was described as one of the most brazen attacks carried out by Baloch separatists in recent times.

The Fateh Squad, an elite combat unit specialising in guerrilla warfare and ambushes in Balochistan’s mountainous terrain, has previously been linked to high-profile operations, including the hijacking of the Jaffar Express in March 2025.

In a separate incident in Hajika, Surab, the BLA claimed that its Special Tactical Operations Squad (STOS) executed a remote-controlled vehicle-borne blast, killing seven Pakistani soldiers.

These casualty figures have not been independently verified, and Pakistan has not released official details of the attacks. However, videos circulating on social media show bodies of Pakistani soldiers being sent to their families discreetly under the cover of darkness.

The BLA has intensified its campaign in recent months. Last month, it claimed responsibility for 36 operations across different regions, killing over 33 personnel. The scale of violence has revived memories of the group’s ‘Operation Herof’ in 2024, during which it targeted key transportation infrastructure, including sections of the Karachi-Quetta highway and a railway station in Mastung. That operation resulted in the deaths of over 25 Pakistani soldiers and left dozens injured.

Pakistan’s military responded swiftly to the latest attacks, claiming to have killed nearly 50 militants during raids on hideouts in Mastung, Sibi, Quetta, and Kalat.

The army stated that those killed belonged to outlawed groups, including the Baloch Liberation Army and Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). These tit-for-tat strikes highlight the surge in violence in Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest province, which has been plagued by insurgency for decades.

The broader resurgence of violence has seen the BLA and other insurgent groups intensify attacks against Pakistani military installations and convoys. For decades, Baloch groups have accused Pakistan of human rights violations, including enforced disappearances and crackdowns on political activists. 

The province, which shares a long border with Afghanistan, has remained a focal point of separatist demands for greater autonomy or independence.

The recent escalation underscores the growing intensity of the conflict, with both sides engaging in increasingly lethal operations.

The BLA’s use of specialised units such as the Fateh Squad and STOS reflects its evolving tactics, while Pakistan’s military response demonstrates its determination to suppress the insurgency despite mounting criticism over its handling of the crisis.

Agencies