In what appears to be a coordinated wave of violence, Pakistani security forces came under heavy attack across several districts of Balochistan on Tuesday, with fierce gun battles and explosions reported from Mastung to Kharan, ANI reported.
The overnight and morning assaults have left the restive province on edge, The authorities have not revealed the casualty figures, yet.
The trouble began late Monday evening when Pakistani troops, backed by armoured vehicles, rolled into the Dasht Daghari area of Mastung district. What was meant to be a search operation quickly turned into a bloody confrontation. By Tuesday morning, heavy exchanges of fire were reported, with sources telling The Balochistan Post that at least three soldiers had lost their lives.
However, with no official word from the military’s media wing, these numbers remain unconfirmed.
If Mastung was the spark, the situation in Kech district quickly escalated into a full-blown crisis. Security forces launched another major offensive in the Kalatuk region and its surrounding areas, where tensions had been simmering since Monday. The army’s presence was massive, with troops fanning out across the area while quadcopters buzzed overhead, keeping a hawk’s eye on the terrain below.
But the fighters were not backing down. In Kalatuk, they reportedly blocked the main highway, stopping vehicles and checking passengers-a move that sowed panic among travellers. In a particularly disturbing development, armed men intercepted a vehicle carrying seven men from outside the region.
According to police sources cited by TBP, the men were taken away. Later, the bullet-riddled body of one of them was discovered in the Sorag area. The fate of the remaining six remains unknown.
The attacks were not confined to these two districts. In Noshki’s Ghareebabad locality, fighters launched a brazen assault on a military checkpoint. The sound of heavy gunfire and multiple explosions echoed through the area, leaving initial reports suggesting three soldiers dead and two others wounded. As the situation deteriorated, a military convoy rushing to reinforce the checkpoint was also ambushed. The authorities, in a bid to regain control, shut down Noshki Bazaar entirely.
Panjgur, too, witnessed bloodshed when a military convoy travelling along Airport Road was struck by an improvised explosive device. The blast was so powerful that it hit all three vehicles in the convoy, with reports indicating multiple casualties among the security personnel.