Security forces foiled the attack by a Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) commando. Many Chinese companies operate in that area, which is strategic economically and due to the presence of minerals. The port is a key point of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Islamabad () – Pakistani security forces yesterday repelled an armed attack, with rifles and bombs, by a group of militiamen against a complex located outside the port of Gwadar in the province of Balochistan, on the southern coast of the Arabian Sea. The area is located in the southwest of the country and is of strategic importance at an economic and commercial level.
All eight members of the commando were killed in the attack, as well as two army soldiers guarding the structure. In the region, rich in minerals, there are several productive entities, planned and executed thanks to Chinese investments, which Islamabad wants to protect from armed gangs and local groups that have been waging a separatist struggle for decades.
Local sources report that the commando men, armed with guns and grenades, attacked the complex located outside the port, where offices and headquarters of government departments, intelligence agencies and paramilitary forces operate. Speaking to Reuters, Commissioner Saeed Ahmed Umrani said that “the militants detonated a series of bombs before launching a gun attack trying to break into the complex.”
In a post on X (ex Twitter) Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti confirmed that “eight militants” had been “neutralized by security forces.” He later added that “the message is loud and clear. “Whoever chooses to use violence will not receive mercy from the State,” confirming the iron fist against insurgent groups and separatist movements. The Pakistani army reported the death of two soldiers and that “the attack was successfully repelled by the troops.” who guarded the structure.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), the most important of the various separatist groups in Balochistan, claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement, explaining that its militants attacked the offices of the Pakistani intelligence services and stating that new attacks would take place soon. The BLA has previously been involved in operations against Pakistani and Chinese points of interest or activities in the region and other parts of the country.
The Gwadar deep-water port is the key to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which also includes highways and energy projects and is part of the Belt and Road Initiative promoted by President Xi Jinping. Armed groups in Balochistan have attacked Chinese targets before, claiming the legitimacy of a decades-long struggle to receive a larger share of the region's mineral wealth, which has never been recognized by the central government in Islamabad. .
