Islamabad, 03 May (H.S.):

Two separate bomb attacks in Balochistan province on May 2 targeted vehicles of the Pakistan Army, killing several military personnel. The first blast occurred in the Shadikur area of Pasni, Gwadar district, where an unidentified group planted explosives on a Pakistan Army convoy vehicle.

The powerful explosion destroyed the vehicle and killed the soldiers on board. A short while later, a similar attack took place in the Chidgi area of Panjgur district, where another roadside bomb struck another military vehicle, killing several officers. Government officials have so far not released detailed casualty figures.

According to a report by The Balochistan Post, the attacks are part of an intensifying militant campaign against state forces in the region. The same media platform reported that a man who had earlier been abducted from Khuzdar district has now been released by government agencies, while another person has been taken into custody. The incident occurred as a long‑running protest in front of the Quetta Press Club, launched in opposition to enforced disappearances and state abductions, entered its 6,153rd day on Sunday.

Balochistan has witnessed a decades‑long insurgency by Baloch nationalist groups against Pakistan’s federal government, with the conflict tracing its roots back to August 15, 1947, when the princely state of Kalat (Balochistan) declared independence.

However, by March 1948, Pakistan annexed the state, triggering five major armed uprisings over time. The current armed struggle, which intensified in the early 2000s, has been the most intense phase yet. The province is rich in natural gas, oil, gold, and copper, but Baloch nationalists allege that the federal government exploits these resources without proportionate development, keeping Balochistan among the poorest and least developed provinces in Pakistan.

Armed groups such as the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and the Baloch Liberation Front (BLF) have repeatedly claimed responsibility for ambushes and roadside‑bomb attacks on Pakistan Army convoys, calling for an independent “Free Balochistan.”

The BLA has recently carried out several major strikes on Pakistani military units, claiming, in one of its statements, that over 40 soldiers have been killed within a span of 10 days. The latest twin attacks in Gwadar and Panjgur underline the fragile security situation in the province and the persistent threat faced by state forces in Balochistan.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar