For nearly 40 hours, security forces battled what officials described as a coordinated wave of attacks across more than a dozen locations. The banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the assaults, which marked one of the deadliest flare-ups in the province in years.
Nearly 200 people, including 31 civilians, 17 security personnel and 145 BLA fighters, were killed, according to the Pakistani military. Authorities dismissed the group’s claim that it killed 84 members of the security forces.
In Quetta, a city shaped by decades of insurgency, the government projected control.
“Our security forces, personnel and officers have fought bravely,” Al Jazeera quoted Information Minister Attaullah Tarar as saying.
Yet the scale of casualties, including civilians, highlighted how entrenched the conflict remains.
The ‘foreign hand’ argument
Islamabad once again attributed the violence to external interference, branding the fighters “Fitna-al-Hindustan”, an allegation aimed at India. New Delhi categorically rejected as baseless Pakistan’s allegations of an Indian hand in attempts to disturb peace in Balochistan, and said it is Islamabad’s usual tactics to deflect attention from its “internal failings”.
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External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, trashing the charges, also highlighted Pakistan’s record of suppression, brutality and violation of human rights.
“We categorically reject the baseless allegations made by Pakistan, which are nothing but its usual tactics to deflect attention from its own internal failings,” he said.
Jaiswal was responding to Pakistan military’s unsubstantiated claim that India was supporting terrorist elements in their attempts to disturb peace in Balochistan.
“Instead of parroting frivolous claims each time there is a violent incident, it would do better to focus on addressing long-standing demands of its people in the region. Its record of suppression, brutality and violation of human rights is well known,” he added.
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Development without dividends
Balochistan lies at the heart of the $46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), anchored by the port of Gwadar. But many locals say large projects have failed to translate into jobs or services.
At a coal mine in Spin Karez, a security official told Al Jazeera journalists documenting unsafe mining conditions: “Sir, are you crazy! The insurgents [rebels] come in their hundreds and pick up everything, including [paramilitary] checkpoints. Who said it’s safe for you to be in this area?”
Baloch militants have repeatedly attacked mines and killed labourers from other provinces, deepening insecurity and reinforcing perceptions of lawlessness.
“A military can neutralise a militant, but it cannot neutralise a grievance. The state sees them as a terrorist network; many here see their sons and brothers who took up arms,” the publication quoted a security source as saying.
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Human cost of a long war
“Everyone here is corrupt,” a former chief minister of Balochistan, speaking anonymously0, said.
Residents say corruption has drained funds meant for healthcare, education and infrastructure, eroding trust in the state and leaving security as an abstract promise.
Who is the Baloch Liberation Army?
Pakistan’s banned separatist group the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for coordinated gun and bomb attacks that killed dozens of civilians and security personnel, triggering one of the deadliest security operations in Balochistan in years.
The BLA is the strongest of several insurgent groups operating in the mineral-rich province bordering Afghanistan and Iran, home to major Chinese-backed projects including the deep-water port of Gwadar.
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What does the BLA want?
The BLA seeks independence for Balochistan, arguing that the federal government unfairly exploits the province’s gas and mineral resources. It says Balochistan’s natural wealth belongs to its people and rejects federal control over extraction and security.
How has it escalated?
Once considered a low-intensity insurgency, BLA attacks have grown more frequent and coordinated. In 2022, militants stormed army and navy bases.
In August 2024, coordinated attacks included highway assaults in which passengers were pulled from buses and shot after identity checks. In March 2025, militants opened fire on the Jaffar Express after sabotaging railway tracks, briefly taking hostages, officials and local media said.
The group has used women suicide bombers, including in an attack on Chinese nationals in Karachi, and is designated a foreign terrorist organisation by the United States. Pakistan accuses India and Afghanistan of backing the militants, allegations both deny.
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Who does it target?
The BLA primarily targets security forces and infrastructure in Balochistan but has also struck in Karachi. It has attacked Chinese citizens and interests, accusing Beijing of helping Islamabad exploit the province.
Officials say attacks on civilian labourers from other provinces mark a significant escalation.
The group was also at the centre of tit-for-tat strikes last year between Iran and Pakistan over alleged militant bases on each other’s territory, bringing the neighbours close to war.
(With inputs from Reuters)
