Clashes between Pakistani security forces and separatist militants in Balochistan province killed five soldiers and seven militants on Wednesday, according to the military and an insurgent group’s separate claim of responsibility.
The military said it launched an operation in the province’s Barkhan district aimed at rooting out insurgents. During the operation, security forces came under attack from fighters affiliated with the outlawed Baloch Liberation Army, or BLA, the military said. Among the dead was an army major; the military did not release additional names.
The BLA issued its own statement saying its fighters had attacked the troops, triggering the shootout that resulted in casualties on both sides.
Resource-rich Balochistan — Pakistan’s largest but least populated province — has long faced an insurgency by separatist groups as well as attacks by the Pakistani Taliban. The BLA, which the United States designated a terrorist organization in 2019, has carried out numerous attacks targeting security forces and civilians in the province in recent years.
The Pakistani military described the killed militants as members of what it called “Fitna al-Hindustan,” a term Pakistani authorities use to refer to Indian-backed insurgents. India has repeatedly denied providing support to militant groups operating inside Pakistan.
The clash comes amid a broader pattern of violence in Balochistan, where separatist groups have targeted government forces and infrastructure projects linked to Chinese investment under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.