The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) has claimed responsibility for two separate attacks in Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province, saying 25 Pakistani army personnel were killed. The attacks have led to a strong military response from Islamabad and added to the growing violence in the region. The BLA has also released a dramatic, cinematic-style video that shows explosions, gunfire and what appears to be a Pakistani army truck on fire.

On Friday, the BLA said 18 Pakistani personnel were killed when its Fateh Squad ambushed a military convoy at Ziarat Cross. The group claimed that its fighters destroyed two vehicles during the attack. Five other Pakistani personnel were injured but managed to escape, according to the separatist group.

The attack was among the biggest and most daring assaults carried out by Baloch separatists in recent months. The BLA later released footage of the attack through its official media outlet, Hakkal. The video shows BLA fighters standing near Pakistani military vehicles that are engulfed in flames. Bodies can also be seen lying around the area. Another part of the footage shows armed fighters taking weapons from damaged army trucks.

The attack has raised concerns about BLA’s Fateh Squad, an elite combat unit that mainly operates in the mountainous areas of Balochistan. The unit specialises in guerrilla warfare and high-risk ambushes. The Fateh Squad was also involved in the March 2025 hijacking of the Jaffar Express.

In a separate attack in Hajika, Surab, the BLA claimed that its Special Tactical Operations Squad, or STOS, carried out a remote-controlled vehicle-borne blast. The group said the explosion killed seven Pakistani soldiers.

The casualty figures claimed by the BLA could not be independently verified. Pakistan has also not released details about the attacks. The incidents, however, highlight continuing security challenges for the Pakistani military under Army Chief Asim Munir. Videos shared on social media by journalists have also reportedly shown bodies of Pakistani army personnel being sent to their families under the cover of darkness.

The latest claims come after the BLA said it conducted 36 operations against Pakistani forces across different regions last month. The group claimed that more than 33 personnel were killed in those attacks.

The recent escalation has also brought back memories of the BLA’s Operation Herof, which it launched in 2024. During the operation, BLA fighters targeted important transport infrastructure in the province. The group attacked sections of the Karachi-Quetta highway and damaged a railway station in Mastung. More than 25 Pakistani soldiers were killed, and dozens were injured during the operation.

Pakistan has responded to the latest attacks with military raids across Balochistan. The Pakistani military claimed that nearly 50 militants were killed during operations against hideouts in Mastung, Sibi, Quetta and Kalat. According to the military, those killed belonged to banned militant groups, including the Baloch Liberation Army and Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP.

The exchange of attacks reflects a fresh surge in violence across Balochistan. The province has faced an insurgency for decades. In recent months, the BLA and other insurgent groups have stepped up attacks on Pakistani military installations, security forces and military convoys.

Baloch groups have for years accused the Pakistani authorities of human rights violations in the province. Their allegations include enforced disappearances and crackdowns on political activists. Balochistan shares a long border with Afghanistan and remains strategically important to Pakistan.

The BLA and other Baloch groups have demanded greater autonomy or complete independence from Pakistan. The latest attacks and the military response indicate that tensions between the separatists and Islamabad continue to intensify, raising concerns over further violence in the province.