Balochistan [Pakistan], September 16 : The Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) has claimed responsibility for two separate attacks targeting Pakistani military personnel in the province which left five soldiers dead and four others injured, The Balochistan Post reported.
In a statement, BLF spokesperson Major Gwahram Baloch said that the first attack took place on September 14, when BLF launched an assault on the Pakistani military headquarters in Awaran's main bazaar.
The fighters carried out a coordinated attack using heavy weaponry from two directions, the spokesperson said. The assault, which lasted for 20 minutes, reportedly killed four military personnel and left three others critically injured.
Major Gwahram Baloch claimed that high-ranking military officers, including Brigadier Hassan Mehdi, Deputy Commandant Ghazanfar Ali, and Wing Commander Colonel Adeel, were present at the headquarters during the attack. He added the officers were playing cricket with their troops when the fighters launched the assault, as reported by The Balochistan Post.
The second attack, occurred on the morning of September 15, when BLF targeted security personnel overseeing the construction of the Awaran-Mashkay link road. One soldier was killed and another was injured in this assault, according to the BLF statement.
Notably, Balochistan is home to several violent groups, which carry out repeated attacks against state oppression, demanding a greater share of the region's resources and concerns over the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
The Balochistan Liberation Front has accused Brigadier Hassan Mehdi of leading military operations in the region, which the group claims included the "burning of civilian homes and the mobilization of death squads."
It further alleged that Mehdi was responsible for the recent arrest of women in Awaran, as well as blackmailing civil employees to use them against the Baloch national liberation movement.
Following the attacks, the Pakistani military reportedly sealed off the area, imposed a blockade around Awaran and also restricted civilian movement in and out of the city.
The BLF has also accused the military of harassing local residents during the blockade.
It also warned that anyone found collaborating with the military or monitoring the group's activities would be treated as an enemy.
The group reiterated its commitment to continuing its armed struggle for an independent Balochistan, calling for increased support from the Baloch people in their resistance against what they describe as "occupying forces," as reported by The Balochistan Post.
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