BLA Claims Attack on Pakistan Coast Guards Camp in Gwadar

Chinese trucks carrying trade goods are parked at Gwadar port in Balochistan, Pakistan, on November 13, 2016. The port is a key part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. (Photo by Aamir Qureshi / AFP) The Balochistan Liberation Army has claimed responsibility for an attack on a Pakistan Coast Guards camp in the Panwan area of Jiwani in Gwadar district, alleging that more than 30 Pakistani security personnel were killed and dozens wounded. Pakistani authorities had not confirmed the claim as of Saturday. In a statement issued late Friday, the BLA said the assault targeted the Coast Guards facility in southwestern Pakistan on Friday evening. The group described the attack as a suicide operation and claimed it was carried out by members of its armed units. The casualty figure remains based on the BLA’s account and could not be independently verified. Pakistan’s military, the Pakistan Coast Guards and other government authorities had not immediately issued a public statement confirming the attack, the damage to the facility or the number of casualties. Reports citing the group’s statement said the attack involved an explosive-laden vehicle followed by a coordinated assault. Khaama Press could not independently verify those details, and access to conflict-hit areas of Balochistan is often limited. The BLA is a separatist armed group that has long operated in Balochistan and is proscribed by Pakistan. The group says it is fighting for independence for the province, while Pakistani authorities describe its attacks as terrorism. It has repeatedly claimed attacks on security forces, government targets, infrastructure and projects linked to Chinese investment. Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest province by area, has faced a decades-long insurgency driven by political, ethnic and economic grievances. The province is rich in natural resources and borders Afghanistan and Iran. Separatist groups have accused Islamabad of exploiting the region’s resources without fair benefit to local communities, while Pakistani authorities say they are combating militancy and protecting national security. Gwadar is among the most sensitive areas in the province. The coastal district is home to a deep-water port on the Arabian Sea and is a central part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a major infrastructure initiative linking western China to Pakistan’s southern coast. The region has seen repeated attacks targeting security forces and state-linked infrastructure. The reported attack comes amid a broader surge in militant violence in Pakistan. On June 27, Pakistan’s military said three paramilitary Rangers were killed and four others wounded in a bomb and gun attack on a Sindh Rangers facility in Karachi. Officials said the attack was carried out by Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a faction of the Pakistani Taliban. Pakistan has repeatedly accused militant groups, including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and Baloch separatist factions, of using Afghan territory to plan or support attacks. The Taliban administration in Kabul denies the allegation and says it does not allow Afghanistan’s territory to be used against other countries. Cross-border tensions have intensified in recent months, with Pakistan carrying out strikes it said targeted militant hideouts in Afghanistan. Taliban authorities have condemned those strikes as violations of Afghan sovereignty and have accused Pakistan of causing civilian casualties. The latest BLA claim could further heighten security concerns in Balochistan, particularly around Gwadar and coastal installations. However, until Pakistani authorities release an official account, the scale and impact of the attack remain unclear. The post BLA Claims Attack on Pakistan Coast Guards Camp in Gwadar appeared first on Khaama Press.