Senior Pakistani officer among 23 killed as BLA expands guerrilla warfare across Balochistan

Balochistan [Pakistan] July 26 (ANI): The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has asserted responsibility for a series of simultaneous armed operations throughout various areas of Balochistan, claiming that its fighters killed a minimum of 23 members of the Pakistani military, including a high-ranking officer, and caused substantial damage to military facilities and assets linked to intelligence, The Balochistan post reported.
As per The Balochistan Post, BLA spokesperson Jeeyand Baloch indicated that the group's fighters targeted Pakistani forces in locations such as Mastung, Kalat, Zamuran, Buleda, and Quetta, also conducting assaults in Nushki, Dalbandin, and Panjgur. The statement characterises these attacks as part of the group's sustained resistance effort against what it refers to as the "occupying" state forces.
The BLA reported that one of the most notable confrontations occurred on July 22 in the Kohak region of Kalat, where Pakistani forces attempting to advance were ambushed. The BLA claimed that three military vehicles were directly struck in this operation, with fighters surrounding retreating troops, resulting in the deaths of 13 on the spot. The group reported seizing weapons at the scene and executing a follow-up attack on reinforcements, leading to additional losses and forcing a withdrawal.
In the Talkh Kawi area of Mastung, BLA fighters allegedly used an improvised explosive device (IED) to target military personnel, resulting in the deaths of six, including a senior officer known as Major Ziyad, and injuring three others. A subsequent IED attack in Mastung's Aab Gul area reportedly claimed the lives of two more and injured four.
The BLA also took credit for the targeted killing of Muawiya Jamaldini in Nushki, identified in the statement as a significant figure in a state-supported armed group believed to be involved in targeted killings, home invasions, and the harassment of families of deceased Baloch fighters. The group claimed Jamaldini was tracked down by its internal intelligence network, Zirab, and was killed while on his way home. The BLA asserted that its intelligence network is monitoring other alleged state-backed "death squad" members who will face a similar fate soon.
The statement further mentioned that two vehicles carrying minerals were allegedly set ablaze and destroyed in separate incidents at Nushki's Ziarat Dastagir Cross and Dalbandin's Kurod Phatak. The BLA stated that it briefly took control of the highway in Dalbandin, performing random checks during the operation.
The spokesperson noted that on July 22 in Zamuran's Archanan area, BLA fighters claimed to have killed a Pakistani soldier in a remote-controlled IED attack. In Buleda's Gilli area, another IED reportedly targeted a military vehicle, resulting in two deaths and three injuries, alongside the destruction of the vehicle.
Jeeyand Baloch asserted that in Quetta's Akhtarabad area, a unit of the BLA reportedly executed a grenade attack on a military outpost. In Panjgur's Pulabad area, the group claimed to have ruined surveillance cameras, towers, and related equipment utilised by Pakistani forces.
The BLA concluded its statement by reaffirming its pledge to maintain what it terms as armed resistance until achieving Baloch national liberation, stating that its fighters would intensify operations in response to ongoing military actions. (ANI)