At least five paramilitary soldiers were killed and six others wounded in a fatal roadside bomb attack on a security convoy in Pakistan’s volatile southwestern province of Balochistan on Tuesday, security sources said. The assault took place at approximately 11:45 AM local time in Kachhi district, when a Frontier Corps convoy on routine movement was struck by an improvised explosive device (IED). One of the six vehicles in the convoy was hit by the explosion, resulting in serious casualties, confirmed officials, as quoted by news agency IANS.
Security troops quickly cordoned the area and initiated a search operation to arrest the attackers. The wounded personnel were taken to nearby hospitals, where a number were reported to be critical.
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the bombing. However, security officials noted that the Balochistan Liberation Army-Azad (BLA-A) faction and other small armed groups operate actively in the region.
This attack follows a major incident last week when the Fateh Squad of the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) stormed Balochistan’s Mongochar area in Kalat district. During that assault, militants blocked the Quetta-Karachi highway, torched multiple government buildings including NADRA, the National Bank of Pakistan, and a Judicial Complex, and briefly seized control of the local market area. The BLA later claimed the operation as part of their ongoing “struggle for liberation.”
Balochistan has witnessed a surge in violence in recent months, with separatist groups intensifying attacks on state institutions and security forces, citing long-standing grievances over political marginalization and resource exploitation.
No organisation has claimed responsibility for the attack so far. Security officials, however, said that the Balochistan Liberation Army-Azad (BLA-A) faction and some other small extremist groups are actively working in the area.
This assault came on the heels of a massive attack last week when the BLA’s Fateh Squad overrun Balochistan’s Mongochar region in Kalat district. In that attack, militants disrupted the Quetta-Karachi highway, burnt several government complexes such as NADRA, the National Bank of Pakistan, and a Judicial Complex, and temporarily took control of the area around the local market. The BLA went on to own up to the operation as an extension of their “struggle for liberation.”
Balochistan has seen an escalation of violence over the past few months, with separatist movements stepping up attacks on state institutions and security forces, complaining of historical grievances of political exclusion and exploitation of resources.
