Quetta, March 18 (IANS) The Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) has claimed responsibility for carrying out attacks in Kech district that killed three Pakistani personnel and critically injured four others. Additionally, the armed group targetted Pakistan-backed death squads in Washuk district, killing three operatives, local media reported on Wednesday.

In a statement, BLF spokesperson Major Gwahram Baloch said that acting on verified intelligence, its fighters launched an attack on operatives of a state-backed "death squad" in the Garari area of Washuk on Tuesday.

According to the spokesperson, the death squads had established a temporary checkpoint on the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) highway and were allegedly harassing drivers and collecting extortion before the BLF fighters surrounded them and opened fire.

“As a result of this operation, three death squad operatives were killed, while one was captured and is currently in the organisation's custody,” Gwahram said.

He claimed that one of the deceased was identified as Kahoor, alias Manan, a resident of Mashkay in Awaran district, while the identities of the other two remain unconfirmed.

He added that the detained individual has been identified as Chakar, son of Sher Muhammad, a resident of Naag in Washuk, and is being questioned.

The spokesperson accused the group of operating under the patronage of a local figure, Ali Haider Muhammad Hasni, while engaging in “anti-Baloch activities" at the behest of the State.

In a separate operation, Gwahram stated that BLF fighters carried out a coordinated attack on a Pakistani army camp on March 16 in the Malant area of Tump in Kech.

He said the fighters surrounded the camp from multiple directions before carrying out a close-range attack using “B-10 rockets, snipers, RPGs and grenade launchers", killing three Pakistani army personnel and critically injuring four others.

The BLF spokesperson added that the group also destroyed the surveillance cameras installed at the camp and further damaged them, while helicopters subsequently arrived to evacuate casualties.

Accepting responsibility for both operations, the BLF warned that anyone acting against the Baloch movement would be “brought to their end".

These latest incidents come against the backdrop of escalating attacks by Baloch militant groups targetting Pakistani military and police forces across Balochistan in recent days, resulting in heavy casualties and damage to the infrastructure.

--IANS

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