On Tuesday, a homemade bomb attack targeted a convoy in Balochistan province, resulting in the deaths of seven Pakistani paramilitary personnel and leaving five more injured, according to officials.
Balochistan, which shares borders with Afghanistan and Iran, has seen a marked increase in violence, as extremist separatist factions intensify their campaigns against Pakistani authorities, claiming exploitation of the region’s natural resources.
The Pakistani army reported that the Baroque Liberation Army (BLA), labeled as “terrorists,” orchestrated the attack using homemade explosives aimed at security forces’ vehicles near the town of Mach in the Kachi district.
The convoy was reportedly en route to a security operation when it was struck. Five other individuals sustained injuries, prompting the dispatch of a helicopter to transport them to a military hospital in Quetta, the provincial capital.
This incident occurred around noon in a mountainous area known for its coal mines and has frequently been targeted by the BLA. As of now, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Since the beginning of the year, more than 200 individuals have reportedly lost their lives due to violence from armed groups in Balochistan and neighboring Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, based on an AFP tally.
In a previous incident in March, dozens of extremists and security personnel lost their lives when the BLA took control of a train carrying hundreds of passengers.
