The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has claimed responsibility for a deadly “fidayee” (suicide commando) attack on a Pakistan Coast Guard camp in the Panwan area of Jiwani, Gwadar.
According to The Balochistan Post, the separatist group said the high-risk operation, carried out by its elite Majeed Brigade on Friday evening, killed over 30 Pakistani personnel and injured dozens of others.
A suicide bomber identified by the BLA as Attaullah Baloch alias Ajmal reportedly drove an explosive-laden Mazda truck into the fortified camp at around 6:32 PM local time, triggering a massive blast.
In an official statement, BLA spokesperson Jeeyand Baloch said, “As a result of this powerful blast, the fortified colonial camp of the Coast Guards was completely turned into a heap of rubble.”
The BLA’s media wing, Hakkal, released a 43-second video clip that purportedly shows the explosive-laden truck entering the camp compound moments before the massive detonation. Subsequent footage shared by the group indicated that a large section of the military facility had been completely levelled.
The BLA stated that the vehicle bombing was immediately followed by a coordinated ground assault carried out by its tactical wing, the Fateh Squad.
“Immediately after the attack, our organisation’s vanguard unit, the Fateh Squad, advanced rapidly and in an organised manner, launching an assault on the destroyed camp from all sides,” the BLA statement read.
The insurgent group claimed that fighters from its Fateh Squad engaged the remaining Coast Guard personnel in close combat, alleging that more than 30 personnel were killed during the coordinated assault.
“Given the critical condition of the injured and the personnel trapped under the rubble, a further increase in the enemy’s casualties is highly likely,” the BLA spokesperson added.
The BLA said it would soon release a detailed account of the operation through its official channels.
The banned outfit also asserted that its armed campaign against Pakistani security forces would continue “with the same intensity” until it achieves what it described as the “complete independence of Balochistan.” Meanwhile, the Pakistani military and government authorities have not issued an official statement confirming the reported casualty figures or the full extent of the damage caused by the attack in Jiwani.
