Two soldiers and eight militiamen die in separatist attack in Gwadar port area
Security forces foiled the assault by a commando linked to the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA). Many Chinese companies are active in the economically strategic, mineral-rich region. The port is a strategic component of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Islamabad (AsiaNews) – Pakistani security forces thwarted an attack by militiamen armed with guns and bombs against a compound outside the port of Gwadar, Balochistan. Located in the country’s south-west, on the Arabian Sea, the area has strategic importance for business and trade.
All eight members of the commando were killed during the assault, as were two army soldiers defending the site.
Chinese companies have invested heavily in the mineral-rich region, which Pakistan wants to protect from armed gangs and separatist groups that have sought independence for decades.
Local sources report that the complex the armed group attacked is outside the port, housing government departments, intelligence agencies, and paramilitary forces.
The militants threw bombs before trying to shoot their way into the complex, Government Commissioner Saeed Ahmed Umrani told Reuters.
On X (formerly Twitter), Balochistan's Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti said that eight militants had been "neutralised by security forces.”
In a sign that the authorities plan to use iron fist against militant and separatist groups, he added: “The message is loud and clear. Whosoever chooses to use violence will see no mercy from the state.”
The Pakistani army confirmed the death of two soldiers, noting that the assault was successfully repelled by the troops guarding the facility.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), the most important of the various separatist groups operating in Balochistan, claimed responsibility for the attack. In a statement, it stressed that it had targeted the offices of Pakistani intelligence agencies and that it would carry out more attacks.
The BLA itself has previously been involved in operations against Pakistani and Chinese interests in the province and elsewhere in the country.
The deep-water port of Gwadar is key to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which includes roads and energy projects, and is part of Chinese President Xi Jinping's Belt and Road Initiative.
Balochi armed groups that attacked Chinese targets have justified their action by citing the failure of the central government in Islamabad over the decades to share more of the profits from the region’s mineral wealth.
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