(MENAFN- AsiaNet News) Pakistan's second-largest airbase, PNS Siddique, became the target of a coordinated attack on Tuesday involving multiple explosions and gunfire, according to various media outlets. The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) has claimed responsibility for the assault on the naval air base in Turbat, citing opposition to Chinese investments in Balochistan's resources.
The BLA alleges that its operatives have successfully breached the airbase, which reportedly houses Chinese drones. Following the incident, an emergency was declared at Teaching Hospital Turbat by District Health Officer Kech, with all medical staff ordered to report for immediate duty.
This marks the second attack this week and the third this year orchestrated by BLA's Majeed Brigade. Previously, the group targeted Mach city on January 29 and the Military Intelligence headquarters in Gwadar on March 20. However, this time, their focus shifted to Pakistan's second-largest Naval airbase in Turbat.
During the Gwadar incident, two Pakistani soldiers and eight terrorists lost their lives in a clash that erupted due to explosions and gunfire at the Port Authority Complex. Pakistan's Inter-Services Public Relations stated that security forces successfully thwarted the terrorists' attempt to breach the Port Authority Colony.
Who are the Baluch Liberation Army?
The Baluch Liberation Army (BLA), recognized as an outlawed insurgent group, claimed responsibility for orchestrating the assault. In a communication to the media, the group asserted that members of its self-proclaimed suicide unit, the Majeed Brigade, executed the raid and inflicted substantial casualties on Pakistani forces.
BLA, designated as a global terrorist organization by Pakistan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, often exaggerates the details of its violent operations.
Balochistan, a province abundant in natural resources, has been plagued by a long-standing insurgency led by BLA and other outlawed insurgent factions.
A spate of recent attacks
Just last week, eight heavily armed BLA militants stormed a government compound in the neighbouring Gwadar district, where a China-operated port is situated. The ensuing gunfight resulted in the demise of all assailants and left several Pakistani security personnel dead.
The deep-water Gwadar port, strategically located near the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil shipping route in the Arabian Sea, was constructed by a Chinese state company and is operated under a long-term agreement with the Pakistani government.
This port plays a pivotal role in the multibillion-dollar bilateral collaboration known as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), an extension of Beijing's global infrastructure initiative, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
Separatist Baluch insurgents have previously targeted Chinese personnel working on CPEC and other projects, resulting in casualties. Consequently, China has repeatedly urged Pakistan to enhance the security measures for its citizens.
Recent months have witnessed a surge in terrorist activities in Pakistan, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, following the termination of the ceasefire between Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan and the government in November 2022, as reported by Dawn.
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