BLA's Pak Train Siege Shows Changing Face of Baloch Insurgency

From hit-and-run strikes to the terrifying siege of Jaffar Express this week, the Balochistan Liberation Army has evolved into an outfit that can carry out audacious attacks with tactical precision, experts say.

- Press Trust of India

KARACHI:

The shift has been evident in the banned outfit's rapidly evolving targets and tactics since early 2024, after which it has carried out more than 18 sophisticated attacks in the province on security forces, Chinese nationals, innocent civilians, including people from other provinces working in Balochistan.

The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) militants ambushed the Jaffar Express, carrying 440 passengers, near the mountainous terrain of Gudalar and Piru Kunri on Tuesday.

The militants killed 21 passengers and four paramilitary soldiers before the Army eliminated all 33 terrorists on Wednesday.

The conflict in Balochistan, which has 43% of Pakistan's total land, can be blamed on many factors but the underlying feeling of alienation and deprivation among the Baloch people is the core of the problem.