BLF female unit targets Pakistani military convoy on CPEC highway near Turbat
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
The Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF), a Baloch armed group, has claimed that several Pakistani military personnel were killed and injured in the first-ever attack conducted by its newly formed all-female unit, which targeted a Pakistani military convoy on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) highway near Turbat in Balochistan, local media reported on Wednesday, 23 September.
The Female Unit's Debut Attack
Fighters from the Karima Armed Assault Division (KAAD) — the BLF's newly constituted female combat unit — struck a convoy belonging to the Pakistani military's Action Task Force at Jusak, according to a statement by BLF spokesperson Major Gwahram Baloch, as reported by The Balochistan Post. The spokesperson described the strike as 'multi-pronged', claiming that military personnel were killed and injured, and that military vehicles were damaged in the operation. The BLF characterised this as the first armed attack carried out by the Karima Armed Assault Division, marking a significant operational milestone for the group.
Nine Operations Across Balochistan in One Week
Beyond the KAAD attack, Major Gwahram Baloch said the BLF conducted nine separate operations between 13 September and 20 September, spanning multiple districts including Kech, Dalbandin, Kharan, Mastung, Khuzdar, Dasht, Awaran, and Quetta. The group claimed these operations resulted in heavy casualties for Pakistani forces and damage to key infrastructure, according to local media reports.
Key Operations in the Claimed Offensive
Among the operations cited by the BLF, fighters allegedly attacked a Pakistani military convoy in the Pullabad area of Tump in Kech on 20 September using heavy and automatic weapons, with rockets reportedly fired at a nearby military checkpoint. On 19 September, the group claimed its fighters destroyed a military communications tower in the Ashlolo Padag area of Dalbandin, alleging the tower was used for surveillance and military coordination.
On 17 September, the BLF claimed its members set up a roadblock in the Maro area of Mastung, intercepting vehicles on the route. A military vehicle was reportedly attacked after personnel inside allegedly attempted to draw weapons, leaving four personnel seriously injured, according to the group's account. Separately, the BLF alleged a sniper attack on a military checkpoint in the Suneri area of Mashkay district on 15 September killed one Frontier Corps personnel.
Also on 15 September, the group claimed a confrontation with Pakistan's Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) personnel during a patrol in the Sariab area of Quetta, alleging the attack killed three CTD personnel and injured two others. In an earlier incident on 13 September, the BLF claimed that bomb disposal personnel were targeted with an improvised explosive device in the Malant area of Tump, resulting in the death of one military personnel and injuries to another.
Context and Significance
All casualty figures and operational claims cited above are unverified and originate solely from the BLF, which is a designated militant organisation. Pakistani military and government officials have not independently confirmed these incidents, and independent verification from Balochistan remains difficult given restricted media access to the province. Notably, this cluster of attacks — if the claims hold — represents one of the most operationally active weeks the BLF has publicly declared in recent memory, coinciding with the group's stated expansion into gender-integrated combat units. The CPEC corridor, a centrepiece of China-Pakistan economic ties worth an estimated $62 billion, has repeatedly been a target of Baloch militant groups who argue the project marginalises the local population. How Islamabad responds to these fresh claims, and whether the KAAD's reported debut complicates security arrangements along the corridor, remains to be seen.