Gwadar, 23 October (H.S.): A powerful explosion followed by gunfire was reported on Thursday in Gwadar, a coastal city in Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province. According to preliminary reports, a Pakistani military installation was targeted using a vehicle laden with explosives. Meanwhile, the Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) has claimed responsibility for several attacks on Pakistani security forces in Gwadar district, announcing the launch of what it calls ‘Operation Almas’.

However, as of the time of writing, Pakistani authorities had not officially confirmed the explosion, the gunfire or the reported attacks. The number of casualties and the extent of damage to military installations also remained independently unverified.

According to local residents, a loud explosion was heard in Gwadar on Thursday, followed by the sound of gunfire. The blast was reportedly audible as far away as the Sur and Pishukan areas. Preliminary accounts citing eyewitnesses said the explosion was so powerful that the windows of several nearby houses shattered, while residents felt the ground shake.

Initial information suggested that a vehicle packed with explosives had been used to target a military installation. However, detailed official information regarding the precise sequence of events, responsibility for the explosion and the possible extent of the damage had yet to emerge.

The BLF issued a statement claiming that it had carried out multiple attacks against Pakistani security forces and associated installations across Gwadar district. According to the organisation’s spokesperson, Major Gwahram Baloch, its fighters targeted the main camp of the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO), located at Gwadar Zero Point, on October 22.

The spokesperson claimed that fighters from the organisation’s Saddu Operational Battalion (SOB), along with members of other units, participated in the operation. The group said clashes were continuing at several locations and that it had designated the campaign ‘Operation Almas’. In a separate statement, the organisation claimed that a captain from Pakistan’s Military Intelligence (MI) and several personnel of the Special Services Group (SSG) had been killed during the clashes in Gwadar.

The organisation further claimed that its fighters had captured the FWO camp at Gwadar Zero Point and raised their flag there. It also asserted that they had taken control of the Mazani police station and seized government weapons and other equipment from the premises. According to the group, a police officer was also killed during the clashes. Pakistani authorities, however, had not issued any official statement confirming these claims.

The BLF also claimed responsibility for an attack on a Pakistani Army convoy in the Gabd area. According to the organisation, one vehicle was destroyed in the assault, while several military personnel were killed or injured. The group additionally claimed to have captured a police post situated at Gabd Cross. It said ‘Operation Almas’ was continuing at multiple locations and that a detailed assessment of casualties and damage would be released after the operation had concluded.

Balochistan has long been affected by separatist violence and attacks targeting Pakistani security forces. Several armed groups operating in the province, including the Balochistan Liberation Front, have claimed to be conducting campaigns against the Pakistani government and military.

Gwadar is a strategically significant port city and occupies a prominent position in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Reports of attacks on military installations and security facilities in the area have therefore heightened concerns over regional security.

For now, the actual scale of the reported attacks in Gwadar, the number of casualties and the BLF’s claims of territorial control remain independently unverified. An official response from Pakistani authorities is awaited.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar