14 Pakistan Army soldiers were killed when their vehicle was hit by an IED in Balochistan, in an attack claimed by the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), a separatist group fighting for the province’s independence.
“Terrorists belonging to the Balochistan Liberation Army targeted a security forces’ vehicle with an improvised explosive device in the general area Mach, Kachhi district,” news agency PTI quoted a Pakistan Army statement as saying.
The blast killed 14 soldiers on board an army vehicle, including Special Operations Commander Tariq Imran and Subedar Umar Farooq, according to news agency ANI. The vehicle was also destroyed in the explosion.
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Sanitisation was being carried out to eliminate any terrorists present in the area, the army said.
Last week, Pakistan’s security forces killed 10 terrorists in two separate incidents in Balochistan province, authorities said. The terrorists were killed in the Kech and Ziarat districts during a fresh crackdown against militant elements in the province.
The BLA has carried out such attacks targeting Pakistan Army personnel and security forces in the past.
In March, Jaffar Express, travelling from Quetta to Peshawar and carrying 440 passengers, was hijacked by BLA separatists in which 21 civilians and four soldiers were killed.
Balochistan has been facing unrest for about two decades due to allegations by the local ethnic Baloch groups and parties that the federal government was exploiting the mineral wealth of the province.
(with inputs from agencies)
