The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed to have killed 25 Pakistani army personnel in two separate attacks, triggering a fierce retaliation from Islamabad, as the restive Balochistan province witnessed a sharp escalation in violence. The BLA, which has ramped up its armed campaign against Pakistani forces over the past few months, also released a dramatic, cinematic-style video showing explosions, gunfire and a purported Pakistani army truck on fire.
On Friday, the BLA claimed that 18 Pakistani personnel were killed when fighters of its Fateh Squad ambushed a military convoy at Ziarat Cross, destroying two vehicles. Five other Pakistani personnel were injured but managed to flee, the separatist group said.
It was one of the biggest and most brazen attacks carried out by Baloch separatists over the past few months.
The video, released by BLA's official media outlet, Hakkal, shows BLA fighters standing near Pakistani military vehicles engulfed in flames as bodies lay strewn around. Another clip shows armed fighters seizing weapons from the damaged army trucks.
ATTACKS CARRIED OUT BY FATEH SQUAD, STOS
The lethal assault has again brought BLA's Fateh Squad into focus. An elite combat unit, the Fateh Squad operates primarily in Balochistan's mountainous region, specialising in guerrilla warfare and high-risk ambushes. The outfit was also behind the March 2025 hijacking of the Jaffar Express.
In a separate attack in Hajika, Surab, the BLA claimed its STOS unit (Special Tactical Operations Squad) carried out a remote-controlled vehicle-borne blast that left seven Pakistani soldiers dead.
While the casualty figures could not be independently verified, it marks another security failure of the army under Asim Munir. Pakistan has not released any details of the attacks.
However, viral videos on social media posted by journalists show bodies of Pakistani army personnel being quietly sent to their families under the cover of darkness.
Last month, the BLA claimed it carried out 36 operations against Pakistani forces across different regions, killing over 33 personnel.
The scale of violence in recent months has revived memories of the BLA's 'Operation Herof' that it launched in 2024.
During the operation, the BLA targeted key transportation infrastructure, including sections of the Karachi-Quetta highway and damaged a railway station in Mastung. Over 25 Pakistani soldiers were killed, and dozens were injured.
PAKISTAN RETALIATES
The retaliation by the Pakistani army was swift, with its military claiming to have bumped off nearly 50 militants during raids on hideouts in Balochistan districts of Mastung, Sibi, Quetta and Kalat.
The military claimed those killed belonged to outlawed militant groups, including the Baloch Liberation Army and Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP.
The tit-for-tat strikes mark a surge in violence in Balochistan, Pakistan's largest province that has been wracked by insurgency for decades.
Over the past months, there has been a broader resurgence of violence across Balochistan. The BLA and other insurgent groups have simultaneously intensified attacks against Pakistani military installations and security convoys.
For several decades, Baloch groups have accused Pakistan of human rights violations, including enforced disappearances and crackdowns on political activists in the province, which shares a long border with Afghanistan.
The BLA and other groups have demanded greater autonomy or independence from Pakistan.