In what is some of the heaviest fighting in recent years as part of the Baloch separatist movement, 18 members of a Pakistani paramilitary security force and 23 Baloch rebels were killed in along a highway in Kalat, Pakistan, near the Afghan border.
[CLASH]
Pakistani officials said that their forces engaged Baloch rebels who had erected a roadblock on a key highway in the area. 12 rebels were killed in the initial fighting and a further 11 were killed as part of an operation that, at the time of writing, is still underway. Pakistani officials also say that the roadblock has been removed.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attacks. The BLA, which has ties to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), or Pakistani Taliban, is the largest Baloch militant group.
Compared to 2023, Pakistan saw a 40% rise in militant attacks in 2024.
Sources:
https://apnews.com/article/pakistan-baluchistan-insurgents-b49e04c3d8e124e4359c951118366857
https://www.dw.com/en/pakistan-18-soldiers-killed-in-fighting-with-separatists/a-71482359