The Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) has taken responsibility for an armed assault in Khuzdar district, Balochistan, resulting in the deaths of three Pakistani soldiers and injuries to several others. The BLF briefly controlled Karkh town during the attack, targeting various government facilities. The operation, as per BLF spokesperson Major Gwahram Baloch, involved a coordinated assault on March 4 by the group’s fighters.
According to the statement, the BLF fighters surrounded Karkh from multiple directions, cutting off the town’s entry and exit points. The armed group attacked a police checkpoint at Moola Cross on the Khuzdar–Ratto Dero section of the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) route. They seized weapons and equipment from the checkpoint before setting it on fire, as reported by The Balochistan Post.
The BLF fighters then entered Karkh, taking over several government buildings, including a police station, a National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) office, a bank, and the Deputy Commissioner’s office. They destroyed records and state symbols in these offices, confiscated weapons, and conducted inspections during roadblocks, detaining individuals, including a police sub-inspector.
The BLF alleged that Pakistani security forces responded by firing mortar shells from a distance, leading to clashes near Moola Cross, resulting in the deaths of three Pakistani soldiers and injuries to several others. The group left the town after completing the operation. This incident adds to a series of recent attacks by Baloch militant groups on Pakistani military and police forces in Balochistan, causing significant casualties and infrastructure damage.
