BLA claims responsibility for IED attacks on Pak army bus killing 29 people

(Image: AFP)

The Baloch Army (BLA) has claimed responsibility for an attack on a bus carrying Pakistan Army personnel in the Quetta and Kalak regions of Pakistan.

The incidents that were carried out over July 15-16 have reportedly left 29 soldiers dead, including a senior officer.

The attack was carried out using a remote-controlled Improvised Explosive Device (IED) that targeted the army vehicle.

Initial reports from the scene suggest 27 personnel died instantly, with two more succumbing to injuries later.

The BLA issued a statement following the attack, noting that it had previously "cautioned people to stay away from the personnel of Pakistan's army while they are in Balochistan."

The statement also mentions that some artists were travelling on the bus at the time of the blast.

Later that day, a second BLA attack was reported in the Hazar Ganji area of Quetta, where another IED blast reportedly killed two soldiers and wounded seven.

BLF operations in Kalat and Jhau

Separately, the BLF carried out two attacks targeting Pakistani forces. On July 15, a military vehicle was hit by a remote-controlled IED along the Quetta-Karachi highway in the Khazinai area of Kalat, killing four soldiers and injuring two.

The following day, BLF fighters ambushed Pakistani troops in the Gujro Kaur area of Jhau, Awaran district. Acting on internal intelligence, the group claimed six soldiers, including Major Syed Rab Nawaz Tariq, were killed while pursuing a seized ration vehicle. BLF snipers reportedly forced the remaining troops to retreat.

The BLF also accused the Pakistani military of retaliating through "fake encounters", a reference to alleged extrajudicial killings of unarmed civilians, charges Islamabad routinely denies.