6 Killed In Terrorist Attack On Pakistan’s Naval Air Base In Balochistan

Balochistan: Six armed Baloch militants, who allegedly tried to infiltrate one of the main naval air bases in Pakistan’s Balochistan, were neutralised by security forces, reports said on Tuesday.

According to news agency PTI, the assault occurred on Monday night in Turbat, a restive district.

The armed assault targeted the PNS Siddique Naval Air Base, with the attackers attempting to attack the airport boundary from three directions. Witnesses reported hearing gunfire and explosions throughout the night. Security personnel confirmed that no damage was inflicted on the airbase or aircraft.

The Majeed Brigade, a faction of the banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), claimed responsibility for the attack, marking its third assault on security forces and installations this year.

Security forces had previously repelled two attempted attacks by the BLA. In a separate incident in Mach town, at least ten individuals were killed in an assault on security forces, although the effort to breach the Mach jail was successfully thwarted.

On March 24, the BLA took responsibility of an assault on Gwadar Port Authority Complex, which resulted in the killing of eight militants.

Balochistan, located near Iran and Afghanistan, has grappled with a protracted violent insurgency. Several Baloch insurgent groups have aimed their attacks at the strategically significant CPEC projects, alleging exploitation of the province’s resources by China and Islamabad — a contention that authorities reject.

Established in 2011, the BLA’s Majeed Brigade is recognized as a highly efficient guerrilla unit specializing in attacks on security forces and Chinese interests. Allegedly, the group operates sanctuaries along the Pakistan-Iran border. Regarded as the BLA’s suicide squad, the brigade was responsible for the April 2022 suicide attack near the Confucius Institute at Karachi University.