Quetta: A woman suicide bomber is said to have blown herself up at the outer barrier of a heavily fortified Frontiers Corps complex linked to a Chinese-operated copper and gold project in Chagai, Balochistan.
Zarina Rafiq, also known as Trang Mahoo, cleared the path for heavily armed fighters of the Baloch Liberation Front (BLF) to enter the complex. Six Pakistani armed forces personnel are suspected to have been killed in the attack, though there has not been any official confirmation from Islamabad.
The BLF released Zareena’s photographs later. The attack is being seen as a crucial change in tactics by the BLF. This is the outfit’s first-ever suicide bombing. That was a strategy previously associated solely with the Majeed Brigade of the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), infamous for high-profile strikes, including the Jaffar Express hijacking.
The selection of the target is also crucial. It was close to the Saindak and Reko Diq mining projects, run by Chinese and Canadian firms. The Balochi groups have always been vocal against the tapping of minerals from the province without any dialogue with local stakeholders. The strike is clearly a hit against geopolitically sensitive, high-value assets.
BLF spokesperson Gwahram Baloch said the fidayeen mission was executed by its “self sacrifice” wing, the Saddo Operational Battalion (SOB), named after martyred commander Waja Sado aka Sadath Marri.
The BLA had also claimed that coordinated strikes across multiple regions between November 28 and 29, claimed the lives of 27 Pakistani military personnel in 29 separate attacks. The group further asserted that it had seized weapons, taken control of sections of motorways, and launched simultaneous assaults targeting strategic installations.
BLA fighters reportedly attacked the Coast Guard camp in Pasni, Gwadar, with multiple grenade launchers. The group also claimed that it hit Pakistani military intelligence operatives in Jiwani, Gwadar, using a remote-controlled IED-allegedly while they were returning after extorting money from commuters.
Another strike targeted the residence of a Pakistani army major in Mastung city.
Six explosions also rocked various defence facilities in Quetta, while state forces and bomb disposal units advancing toward the impacted zones came under renewed fire, resulting in additional casualties.
