BLF claims 80+ Pakistani personnel killed in Gwadar attacks under 'Operation Almas'
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
The Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) has claimed responsibility for killing more than 80 Pakistani military and intelligence personnel in a coordinated series of attacks on a Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) camp and multiple military and police installations in Balochistan's Gwadar district, according to local media reports. The group said the operation, codenamed 'Operation Almas', was launched on 22 October.
How the Attack Unfolded
According to BLF spokesperson Major Gwahram Baloch, the operation began with a vehicle-borne suicide attack at the entrance of the FWO camp on 22 October. The explosion reportedly destroyed the main gate and surrounding positions, enabling fighters to breach and enter the compound.
Once inside, the fighters allegedly stormed an Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) office, killing one officer and five other personnel. A separate confrontation at another office reportedly resulted in the deaths of six Military Intelligence (MI) personnel, including a captain, according to the spokesperson's statement.
The attackers then targeted a multi-storey residential barracks. 'In total, 21 personnel were killed in the fighting in these barracks,' Gwahram Baloch reportedly said. Pakistani forces were said to have engaged in nine additional clashes overnight while attempting to retake the compound, with mortar and artillery fire also deployed.
Further Clashes and Equipment Losses Claimed
The BLF claimed that a fresh military offensive the following morning, involving additional troops and armoured vehicles, was also repelled — reportedly leaving around 13 more personnel dead and two armoured vehicles destroyed. The group further alleged that its fighters shot down four quadcopters and two surveillance drones over the course of the operation, and that a sniper team killed six Pakistani military personnel.
The stated fatalities included personnel from Military Intelligence (MI), Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), and the Special Services Group (SSG), with dozens more reportedly sustaining serious injuries, according to Gwahram Baloch's statement carried by The Balochistan Post.
BLF's Stated Justification
In his statement, Gwahram Baloch described the FWO and similar institutions as 'the commercial and military arms of this occupying army, used to loot our resources, guard international exploitative companies and change our demography.' He asserted that the group was 'not against any outside power or country' but was opposed to what it characterised as Pakistan's occupation of Balochistan and the exploitation of the region's coastline and natural resources.
CPEC and Foreign Projects Explicitly Threatened
Gwahram Baloch explicitly stated that the BLF would continue to target the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), as well as mining projects including Reko Diq and Saindak. He warned that any project undertaken in Balochistan without the consent of the Baloch people would remain vulnerable to attack, and that foreign institutions would bear responsibility for any losses they incurred.
This comes amid a long-running insurgency in Balochistan, where multiple separatist groups have repeatedly targeted state infrastructure and projects linked to CPEC. Independent verification of the BLF's casualty claims has not been established, and Pakistani authorities have not publicly confirmed the figures as of the time of this report.