Escalating Tensions: BLA Claims Responsibility for Deadly Clashes in Balochistan

The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), an armed separatist group vying for an independent Baloch state, has announced its involvement in the deaths of six Pakistan Army personnel during recent outbreaks of violence in Balochistan.

According to the group's spokesperson, Jeeyand Baloch, confrontations in Quetta, Kalat, and Siahji also resulted in the deaths of three BLA fighters.

In one notable encounter on June 22 in Quetta's Daghari region, BLA patrol units clashed with Pakistani military forces. Additional skirmishes occurred on June 20 in Dasht's Lingasi area, resulting, according to BLA, in Pakistani casualties.

The BLA, which argues that Balochistan suffers from systematic exploitation and marginalisation by the Pakistani government, condemns initiatives like the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) for their perceived harm to local interests. Human rights organizations have highlighted serious concerns about abuses in the region, such as enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings.

(With inputs from agencies.)