Islamabad
Pakistan’s Balochistan province has seen a major surge of targeted terror attacks on security check posts, security camps, located in sensitive districts. A newly-formed group Balochistan Nationalist Army (BNA), which is fast becoming a major opponent to Pakistani security forces operating in the province, has claimed the fresh wave of attacks.
BNA, a merged organisation of the United Baloch Army (UBA) and the Balochistan Republican Army (BRA) established about a month ago, has started to make its strong presence be felt severely as it has targeted important security check posts and camps of the Pakistani armed forces, claiming lives of soldiers and showcasing its capability of carrying out parallel targeted attacks.
In the latest of such attacks, armed assailants targeted two security posts in the Panjgur district of Balochistan.
As per Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the attack was successfully foiled while the attackers were neutralized with heavy casualties inflicted on the terrorists.
The attack triggered an hours-long gun battle between the attacks and the security forces, resulting in the killing of at least four attacks and one Pakistani soldier.
A few hours after the attack, BNA terrorists tried to enter into a security camp in the Naushki district of Balochistan province, engaging the security forces in a heavy exchange of fire. According to the Pakistan military, this attack was also foiled; killing at least four attackers while one Pakistani soldier was wounded.
The latest attacks come about a week after at least 10 Pakistani soldiers were killed in an attack on a security post in Kech town of Balochistan province.
Kech has been among the main sites of armed rebellion groups, where Pakistan has been carrying out Intelligence Based Operation (IBO) and fighting against separatist groups.
Balochistan has become a major challenge for Pakistani security forces as various separatist groups, demand independence from the central government of the country. IANS