Big setback for Pakistan: 14 Pak soldiers killed in Balochistan, BLA claims responsibility — how the attacks took place

On March 11 this year, the Balochistan Liberation Army had ambushed Jaffar Express train carrying over 400 passengers in Bolan area of Balochistan and held the passengers hostage. (File image)

In what comes as a double-whammy for the Pakistani forces alongside India's Operation Sindoor offensive against terror outlets, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has claimed responsibility for two separate attacks in in Bolan and Kech area in Balochistan province which resulted in the deaths of 14 Pakistani Army personnel.

BLA kills 14 Pak soldiers: How the attacks took place

In the first attack, the Baloch Liberation Army's Special Tactical Operations Squad (STOS) conducted a remote-controlled Improvised Explosive Device (IED) strike on a Pak military convoy in the Shorkand area of Mach, Bolan.

As per ANI report, the powerful detonations reportedly killed all 12 soldiers traveling in the vehicle, including Special Operations Commander Tariq Imran and Subedar Umar Farooq. The military vehicle was completely destroyed in the blast.

In the second incident, Baloch operatives targeted a Bomb Disposal Squad of the Pakistani Army in the Kulag Tigran area of Kech.

As per reports, the BLA fighters exploded a remote-controlled improvised explosive device at approximately 2:40 PM while the unit was performing clearance operations. Two Pak army personnel lost their lives in this attack.

Baloch Liberation Army claims responsibility for killing 14 Pak soldiers

ANI quoted Jeeyand Baloch, spokesperson for the BLA, critising the Pak army and those who label the organization as a "foreign proxy". The BLA spokesperson called the Pakistani forces as "mercenary armed gang" dependent on "Chinese capital" and asserted that the military changes its priorities based on shifting financers. He declared it an attack against what BLA terms as an "occupying army", saying it would continue with "greater intensity."

Attacks on Pak Army in Balochistan

The attacks on Pakistani armed forces in Balochistan underscore the ongoing conflict in the region where separatists have waged a long-standing campaign for independence.

These aggrieved groups are motivated by political marginalization, human rights violations, and exploitation of the region's natural resources by the Pak regime and army.

The separatists feel that while Balochistan has abundant mineral wealth, the benefits are reaped primarily by the Pakistani government and foreign investors, leaving local communities in poverty.

Many in the region view the Pakistani military as an occupier rather than a defense force — a feeling that contributes to growing resentment and widening gap between Baloch nationalists and Pak authorities.

On March 11 this year, the Balochistan Liberation Army had ambushed Jaffar Express train carrying over 400 passengers in Bolan area of Balochistan and held the passengers hostage. Pak Army launched a counter-offensive, with the incident resulting in deaths of sseveral hostages and BLA operatives.

Operation Sindoor: India's precision strike against terror hubs in Pakistan: Follow the Live Blog

A day after the attack by BLA on Pak forces, India conducted "Operation Sindoor" — a decisive military action targeted strikes against terrorist facilities across Pakistan in response to the deadly April 22 Pahalgam attack that claimed 26 lives. The late-night operation, executed between 1.05AM to 1.30AM on Wednesday, marked the first joint action by all three branches of India's armed forces since 1971.

The precision strikes focused on nine key terror hubs like Muridke, which houses Lashkar-e-Taiba's headquarters; Bahawalpur, base of Jaish-e-Mohammed; and facilities in Kotli and Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The Muridke Markaz, spanning approximately 200 acres and located 40 kilometers from Lahore, serves as what officials describe as Pakistan's "terror nursery."

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh called the operation as "precise and restrained," deliberately avoiding Pakistani military installations to maintain a "calibrated and non-escalatory approach." Officials also emphasized that the action was taken after Pakistan "indulged in denial" rather than acting against terrorists responsible for the Pahalgam attack.

In response, Pakistan asserted its "right to respond" and has violated ceasefire agreements in several locations, including artillery fire in the Poonch-Rajouri area, which the Indian Army reported addressing "in a calibrated manner."