Pakistan Hit By Balochistan Separatists
Kanako Mita, Sawako Utsumi, and Lee Jay Walker
Modern Tokyo Times
The armed forces of Pakistan said that “terrorist” attacks by the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) killed over 30 people—including civilians—in the initial phase of assaults across the province of Balochistan. This was followed by the deaths of many BLA fighters during sweeping counter-operations by Pakistan’s security forces.
Naturally, the BLA view themselves as waging a struggle for independence against what they see as an intrusive Pakistani state that exploits their homeland. BLA internal attacks are sometimes aimed at China as well, since both Pakistan and China are accused of extracting Balochistan’s rich resources to the detriment of local communities.
AP News reports: “During the attacks, Baloch insurgents targeted civilians, a high-security prison, police stations and paramilitary installations. Eighteen civilians, 15 security personnel and 92 insurgents were killed, the military said.”
The BLA also recently targeted rail tracks linking Balochistan with the rest of Pakistan. Accordingly, the scale and coordination of these attacks may signal a new and more aggressive phase in their insurgency.
Reuters reports: “Officials said the militant assaults were launched almost simultaneously across Quetta, Gwadar, Mastung and Noshki districts, with armed men opening fire at security installations including a Frontier Corps headquarters, attempting suicide bombings and briefly blocking roads in urban areas, prompting large-scale counter-operations by the army, police and counterterrorism units.”
Last year, the administration of President Donald Trump designated the BLA separatists as an international terrorist organization. As a result, political elites in Pakistan view the Trump administration as more favorable to their strategic interests.
Pakistani officials have welcomed the warming of ties with the United States since Trump’s return to office. Consequently, Islamabad praised Washington’s decision to designate the BLA and its armed wing, the Majeed Brigade, as international terrorist organizations.
The United States Department of State declared that it is “…designating the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its alias, the Majeed Brigade, as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), and adding the Majeed Brigade as an alias to BLA’s previous Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) designation.”
Meanwhile, U.S.–India relations have faced turbulence due to New Delhi’s close ties with the Russian Federation. In response, the Trump administration imposed higher tariffs on India, citing concerns over India’s continued imports of Russian energy and broader economic engagement with Moscow.
Ironically, the designation of the BLA as a terrorist organization is also likely to be welcomed by China’s ruling elites. China and Pakistan are jointly engaged in the extraction of Balochistan’s natural resources, particularly under the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). As a result, Baloch insurgent groups may interpret this move as part of a tacit alignment that further undermines their struggle for independence.
The BLA seeks control over the region’s vast reserves of copper, gold, iron ore, and oil. In their view, this is a fight to end decades of exploitation by Pakistan and China in one of the country’s most resource-rich yet chronically marginalized regions.
China, Iran, and Pakistan each leverage the geopolitical and economic dimensions of Balochistan—often at the expense of the Baloch people, who also face repression in Iran. In response, the BLA and other insurgent movements pursue self-determination and sovereignty over their land and resources, rather than continued external domination.
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