BLA launches major assault on Pak army posts in Balochistan, blows up gas pipeline

The aggressive strike by the BLA adds to a growing multi-front challenge for Pakistan.

As tensions escalate between India and Pakistan, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has reportedly overtaken major Pakistani army positions in Quetta, the provincial capital.

The claims by BLA suggest that the Pakistani military has been forced into retreat, losing effective control over parts of the city. Explosions and gunfire were reported near key military installations, including the Frontier Corps headquarters.

The aggressive strike by the BLA adds to a growing multi-front challenge for Pakistan.  India on Thursday night neutralised Pakistan military's attempt to hit military stations in Jammu, Pathankot, Udhampur and some other locations with missiles and drones as tensions soared between the two countries amid fears of a wider military conflict.

Sirens and numerous explosions were reported in Akhnoor, Samba, Baramulla and Kupwara and several other places as the Indian military carried out a massive night aerial vigil along the border with Pakistan. After the Indian military foiled the Pakistani attempts, the defence ministry said India remains "fully prepared to defend its sovereignty and ensure the safety of its people".

"Military stations at Jammu, Pathankot and Udhampur were targeted by Pakistani-origin drones and missiles along the International Border in Jammu and Kashmir today," a defence ministry spokesperson said. "The threats were swiftly neutralised using kinetic and non-kinetic capabilities in line with established standard operating procedures (SOPs)," he said.

The BLA’s assault on Quetta follows a series of high-profile attacks. On Tuesday, the group claimed responsibility for two deadly IED attacks in Bolan and Kech districts, which killed 14 Pakistani army personnel. In Bolan, a convoy carrying Special Operations Commander Tariq Imran and Subedar Umar Farooq was blown up by a remote-controlled device in the Shorkand area, killing all 12 soldiers aboard. Another bomb targeted a Bomb Disposal Squad in Kech, killing two more.

On Thursday afternoon, the defence ministry said Indian armed forces foiled Pakistan's attempts to target military installations in 15 cities in the northern and western parts of the country using missiles and drones. It said the Pakistani military attempted last night to target Awantipura, Srinagar, Jammu, Pathankot, Amritsar, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Adampur, Bathinda, Chandigarh, Nal, Phalodi, Uttarlai and Bhuj.