47 personnel killed, 30 injured in attack on Pak army convoy in Turbat

As many as 47 security personnel were killed and more than 30 others were injured in the Baloch Liberation Army's (BLA) "Fidayee unit" Majeed Brigade's suicide attack on a Pakistani army convoy near Balochistan's Turbat on Saturday, The Balochistan Post reported.

In a statement, BLA spokesperson Jeeyand Baloch said that the attack took place in the Behman area, which is located some eight kilometres from Turbat city, at around 5:45 pm (local time). He said the target was a convoy of 13 vehicles, including five buses and seven military vehicles, heading from Karachi to the Frontier Corps (FC) headquarters in Turbat.

The group said that the Pakistan army convoy included personnel from MI 309, FC SIU, FC 117 Wing, FC 326 Wing, FC 81 Wing, and retired army Captain Zohaib Mohsin, who now serves as a police official, The Balochistan Post reported.

The BLA claimed that one bus was "completely destroyed," others were partially disabled and one military vehicle was demolished in the blast, which it said was coordinated with help from its intelligence wing, "ZIRAB."

The statement said, "ZIRAB had provided authentic information that an enemy convoy was leaving Karachi for Turbat and included important troops of the occupying army." The BLA said that the attack's success showcases the "excellent performance" of its intelligence and the "unparalleled sacrifice of the Fidayee Sangat."

The statement said, "The success of this mission reflects the excellent performance of our intelligence and the unparalleled sacrifice of the Fidayee Sangat. This attack is a clear message that the land of Balochistan will never be safe for the occupying state."

The attacker has been identified as "Fidayee Sangat Bahar Ali" from Qohda Murad Muhammad Bazar in Turbat's Dasht Hochat area. According to BLA, he joined the Baloch national movement in 2017 and served on both urban and mountain fronts. He also volunteered for the Majeed Brigade's "Fidayee" mission in 2022, The Balochistan Post reported.

The BLA has accused Pakistani forces of "torturing innocent Baloch people, opening fire, and forcibly disappearing many individuals." It asked transport owners not to facilitate what it terms the "occupying army" and threatened to burn vehicles involved in resource extraction.

The group further said that Balochistan's highways would be "made unsafe" for the army, state agents, and investors, based on intelligence shared by "ZIRAB" and urged civilians to avoid state convoys, according to The Balochistan Post report.

In the statement, the BLA said, "Our land will always remain insecure for the occupying state, and we will not step down from our struggle until we achieve liberation."

Meanwhile, the authorities initially said that there were 11 fatalities in the Turbat suicide attack on the FC convoy on Saturday. However, the authorities have not released any new updates since the statement issued by BLA.