Balochistan sees fresh wave of violence as BLA claims 43 killed in 13 operations
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has claimed that 43 Pakistani military personnel and members of alleged state-backed ‘death squads’ were killed in 13 operations across Balochistan between September 7 and 13, according to a report. The development comes as a powerful blast at a mosque inside a police compound in Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, killed at least 16 people and injured 57, police and rescue officials said on Friday. Five police officers and 11 civilians were among the dead. The BLA also claimed that 25 members of an alleged ‘death squad’ were killed in Killa Abdullah on September 13, followed by a four-hour clash involving Pakistani forces and the militants.
The group also reported attacks on commercial vehicles, bridges and a lithium extraction project. Five BLA fighters were also reported killed.
The operations targeted military convoys, checkpoints and surveillance equipment, alongside people the BLA described as members of “death squads”, according to the BLA statement. Seven armed gunmen also tried to enter the compound, with six killed in the ensuing gunfire.