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The Balochistan Liberation Front In A Year Of Escalation – OpEd

4 0
07.01.2026

Balochistan stood out in 2025 as one of the most critical fronts in Pakistan’s shifting security environment. Data from the Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS) showed a sharp rise in militant activity nationwide, with both the number of attacks and resulting fatalities increasing despite continued counterterrorism efforts. However, these trends were not the same across the country. In many regions, militant attacks appeared fragmented and sporadic. In contrast, Balochistan experienced a more sustained and expanding pattern, marked by wider geographic reach and a noticeable change in the tactics and operational approach of Baloch armed groups.

In this context, the Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) emerged as a prominent and increasingly active force. In its annual report, the organization claimed responsibility for 581 armed operations carried out across the province between January and December 2025. According to the BLF, these attacks resulted in 929 casualties among Pakistani security forces and associated networks, including 647 deaths and 282 injuries. Although these figures cannot be independently verified, the frequency and scale of the reported operations are consistent with wider assessments suggesting that the situation in Balochistan intensified over the year. The organization also stated that a total of 42 BLF fighters were killed in 2025, including six fidayeen (self-sacrificers) from the Sado Operational Battalion (SOB) who took part in the Nokundi operation.

Beyond the sheer number of attacks, the BLF highlights a broad range of targets and operational methods. The organization reports carrying out fidayeen (self-sacrificing) attacks, ambushes, sniper fire, grenade strikes, improvised explosive device attacks, and prolonged clashes involving heavy weapons and rockets. It also claims to have temporarily overrun or attacked dozens of police, Levies, and Frontier Corps posts and camps, struck military checkpoints and customs camps, destroyed military vehicles, confiscated 171 weapons from security personnel, and........

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