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In an escalation of its armed resistance, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has claimed responsibility for two deadly attacks that killed 29 Pakistani army personnel in the Balochistan cities of Kalat and Quetta.
BLA spokesperson Jeeyand Baloch in an official statement on Tuesday called it a direct response to what the group terms Pakistan's continued occupation of Balochistan. According to the BLA, its elite Fateh Squad executed a high-impact operation at Nimrag Cross in Kalat, targeting a military bus transporting Pakistani army personnel from Karachi to Quetta. The assault, described as an "intelligence-based operation," was coordinated using data collected by the BLA's internal intelligence wing, ZIRAB. The bus was ambushed in a fierce armed attack that reportedly resulted in the deaths of 27 army personnel and left several others critically injured, the statement said. Also aboard the bus were Qawwal artists, who the BLA confirmed were not intended targets. The group reiterated its earlier public advisories urging civilians, artists, and others to avoid proximity to military personnel and convoys, warning that such associations carry grave risks during ongoing armed operations. In a separate incident the same day, BLA fighters conducted a remote-controlled IED attack in the Hazar Ganji area of Quetta, targeting a military vehicle. Two Pakistani soldiers were killed on the spot, and seven others were injured, the BLA said. "These attacks are part of our continued resistance against the occupying Pakistani army," Jeeyand Baloch stated. "As long as the occupation of our motherland continues, our operations will persist with full resolve." The BLA, which seeks the liberation of Balochistan from what it calls the colonial grip of Pakistan, emphasised that its operations are aimed strictly at military targets. However, the group again urged civilians to keep a safe distance from army bases, convoys, and personnel. These attacks mark one of the deadliest days for Pakistani forces in Balochistan in recent months and come amid growing calls from Baloch nationalists for an end to decades of military occupation and suppression. (ANI)
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