Pakistan: Balochistan Attack Claims Lives of 18 Soldiers

At least 18 paramilitary soldiers and 24 armed attackers were killed in two related incidents in southwestern Pakistan’s Balochistan province, as violence escalates in the region, Al Jazeera reported. The military reported that fighters on Saturday attempted to set up roadblocks overnight, leading to confrontations with security forces.

A police official stated that a vehicle carrying unarmed Frontier Corps paramilitaries was ambushed by 70 to 80 assailants near Mangochar. The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attack but reported a lower death toll of 17. Following the initial assault, Pakistani military operations killed at least 11 attackers.

Balochistan, rich in minerals and bordering Iran and Afghanistan, has been the center of a decade-long rebellion by ethnic Baloch separatist groups. The violence is exacerbated by deteriorating relations between Pakistan and the Taliban in Afghanistan, contributing to a rising tide of sectarian and ethnic conflict in the region.