What is Baloch Liberation Army? Separatist group launches major attack on Pakistan army, cuts off Quetta-Karachi highway

In March this year, the Baloch separatist group had laid siege to the Jaffar Express train with more than 400 passengers in Bolan area of Balochistan and held the passengers hostage. (File image)

Baloch Liberation Army: In the arid landscapes of southwestern Pakistan, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) continues its decades-long insurgency against the Pakistani government. This separatist group, operating primarily in Pakistan's largest yet least populated province of Balochistan, represents a growing security challenges that Islamabad faces.

On Thursday, the BLA launched a large-scale attack in Kalat’s Mongochar area cutting off the Quetta-Karachi highway and setting fire to government offices. Agencies reported that armed BLA militants blocked traffic the national highway, stopped vehicles and torched multiple buildings, judicial complexes and banks. The group’s Fateh Squad claimed the assault and called it part of their “liberation struggle”.

On Tuesday, the BLA claimed responsibility for two attacks that resulted in the deaths of 14 Pakistani Army personnel in Bolan and Kech. BLA's Special Tactical Operations Squad (STOS) had carried out a remote-controlled Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attack on a Pak military convoy vehicle on a Pak military convoy in the Shorkand area of Mach, Bolan reportedly killing all 12 soldiers on board.What is Baloch Liberation Army: History

The BLA emerged in the early 2000s, as an ideological successor to the Independent Balochistan Movement of 1973 to 1977, although Baloch nationalist sentiments date back to Pakistan's formation in 1947. BLA calls for complete independence of Balochistan from Pakistan, citing historical grievances related to forced accession, cultural marginalization of the Baloch people, and economic exploitation of the region's abundant natural resources including natural gas, coal, copper, and gold.

Despite Balochistan region's abundant mineral wealth, the province remains Pakistan's least developed, with alarming rates of poverty, illiteracy, and inadequate healthcare. This stark divide between resource abundance and developmental neglect has fueled separatist sentiments among the ethnic Baloch people.

Pakistani establishment classifies the BLA as a terrorist organization. Security analysts note that the group primarily targets Pakistani state infrastructure, military installations, and development projects linked to Chinese investments, particularly those associated with the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Islamabad has consistently made unverified claims that the BLA receives support from foreign intelligence agencies seeking to destabilise Pakistan and disrupt Chinese strategic interests in the region. However, these claims remain contested and difficult to verify independently.

The BLA has been implicated in attacks causing civilian casualties, while Pakistani security forces have been accused of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings of Baloch activists and suspected militants.

The Baloch cause remains largely underreported in international media despite its significant humanitarian impact and geopolitical implications in the region. Journalists in Pakistan reportedly face severe restrictions when attempting to cover the situation independently.

The Baloch Liberation Army: Recent incidents involving the Baloch group

Recent years have seen the BLA adopt increasingly sophisticated tactics and weaponry, suggesting evolving operational capabilities. Meanwhile, the Pak military and government has intensified military operations in the province.

In March this year, the Baloch separatist group had laid siege to the Jaffar Express train with more than 400 passengers in Bolan area of Balochistan and held the passengers hostage. In reply, the Pak Army had launched a counter-offensive, with the incident resulting in deaths of several hostages and BLA operatives.