Rising threat in Balochistan {Pakistan}

Dawn Pakistan ^ | 4th February 2026

[Cronos]

THE separatist militancy, which has gripped Balochistan for the past two decades, now seems to have escalated into a full-blown insurgency. Last week, hundreds of armed terrorists launched simultaneous attacks reportedly in 12 locations, including the provincial capital Quetta. They stormed security installations, set government buildings on fire and looted banks. Highly trained terrorists engaged the security forces in gun battles for hours, revealing their capacity to challenge the state.

While the government claims to have killed 145 terrorists and restored order, such large-scale attacks, which breach even high security zones such as the provincial capital and cause many casualties among security officials and civilians, are highly disturbing. The violence brought the province to a standstill. The outlawed Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), which has claimed responsibility for this massive terrorist attack, has also asked for people’s backing. The spectacle of a large number of terrorists launching such audacious and coordinated attacks across the province indicates the organisation is not without backing.

There has been a sharp escalation in Baloch separatist violence over the past five years, with 2025, the deadliest year on record. According to the Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies, the province saw at least 254 attacks in 2025 (a 26 per cent increase from the previous year) resulting in more than 400 deaths.

In recent times, the terrorists appear to have shifted from a hit-and-run strategy to one aimed at taking control of territory, though briefly. There have been incidents when dozens of heavily armed terrorists have stormed district headquarters and taken control of it before dispersing. Not only were the attacks targeted, according to reports, the terrorists also clashed with the security forces and blocked highways that connect Balochistan to other parts of Pakistan.

The latest terrorist attacks in Balochistan undermine claims that the situation is under control.

Last year, BLA terrorists carried out one of their most audacious attacks, hijacking the Jaffer Express, which was travelling from Quetta to KP. Over 300 passengers were rescued after an operation that lasted more than a day, during which 33 militants were killed. But despite the killing of so many terrorists by the security forces, there seems to be no cessation in the number of militant attacks. In fact, they have also increased in intensity. The latest terrorist attacks undermine the government’s claim that the situation is under control.

It’s one of the most serious security challenges this country has faced in decades. The latest wave of terrorist violence in the strategically located region is a grim reminder of the resurgence of the menace with greater ferocity. What has made the situation worse is the state’s failure to win public support in its battle against the separatists. Considering that this region has long been the epicentre of political unrest, it is hardly surprising that it witnesses frequent attacks.

Arguably, public discontent has increased over the years as Balochistan has still not been able to get its due political and economic rights. The civilian administration is non-existent in large parts of the province. Besides, the uptick in violence has also been evident following the controversial 2024 national elections. Thanks to electoral manipulation, there is a widespread perception that the government is unrepresentative and has thus failed to establish its authority. Those elections were criticised as marginalising even Baloch nationalists seeking democratic rights within the federal structure.

Moreover, the increasing use of force to curb peaceful protests has inflamed the situation further, providing the terrorists an opportunity to recruit new members. A combination of factors, including the denial of democratic rights, poverty and excesses by the state have pushed many, particularly among the educated youth, towards terrorist groups, which have also recruited women in their ranks.

Some of the major terrorist attacks have been carried out by Baloch women. The terrorist attack in Gwadar last week was reportedly led by a woman. The growing participation of women, mostly from educated middle class backgrounds, shows the widening influence of the terrorist groups.

These groups, with the support of external forces, are now better trained and equipped with sophisticated weaponry, as was seen in the recent attacks. India has openly been supporting the Baloch separatist movement as a part of its ongoing hostilities against Pakistan. There is strong evidence of separatist leaders having close links with the Indian intelligence agencies. Regional geopolitics is another factor behind the escalation of such attacks.

Afghanistan has long been a safe haven for Baloch terrorists. The return of Taliban rule and the escalating tension between Kabul and Islamabad have given even greater space to the terrorists to operate from. The terrorists have now acquired sophisticated weapons left behind by Nato forces as they exited Afghanistan in 2021. Some of the Baloch separatist factions are said to have made a tactical alliance with the banned TTP, which is being patronised by the Afghan Taliban regime.

Moreover, a long porous border with Iran also provides a cross-border sanctuary for the insurgents in Iran’s Sistan-Baluchestan province. A long coastal belt provides the militants a safe supply line. The areas along the sea and those bordering Iran have been the worst affected by terrorism.

It is also the region where China is helping develop Gwadar, a key seaport on the Arabian Sea. The increased targeting of Chinese nationals working on various CPEC projects carries strong geopolitical implications. The BLA, which claimed the attacks, threatened intensified attacks on key Chinese interests unless China withdraw from the region.

A mix of internal and external factors has complicated the Balochistan problem. But it is the growing political alienation of the Baloch people from the state that has made it harder to deal with the separatist insurgency. The country cannot confront the challenge without addressing the people’s grievances. A population that is deprived of its basic democratic and economic rights is estranged from the state.

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TOPICS: Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: asiandawnmovement; baloch; balochistan; bla; chineseports; dawnpakistan; gwaydar; ports

[Cronos]

The Balochistan region is split among three countries: Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Administratively it comprises the Pakistani province of Balochistan; the Iranian province of Sistan and Baluchestan, along with southern Kerman province, southern South Khorasan province and eastern Hormozgan province; and the southern areas of Afghanistan, which include Nimruz, Helmand and Kandahar provinces.

BAlochis are an iranian people (like the Pashtuns or Tajiks in Afghanistan or the Ossetians in Russia or the Persians, Kurds, Mazandanis etc.)

Balochi is related to Kurdish

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