Bomb blast kills 5 Pakistani soldiers in Balochistan; Baloch Liberation Army claims attack

Five Pakistani soldiers were killed in a roadside bomb explosion in the restive province of Balochistan, the military said Tuesday (May 6), amid a surge in violence by separatist insurgents.

The improvised explosive device (IED) detonated as a security convoy was passing through an area frequently targeted by Baloch separatist groups. The military did not immediately disclose the exact location of the attack, but operations are underway to trace the perpetrators, officials said.

The attack follows a series of recent incidents in the mineral-rich southwestern province bordering Iran and Afghanistan, where militants have intensified their campaign against security forces. Earlier this month, Baloch rebels abducted five soldiers during a raid, while last week, armed men believed to be insurgents stopped a prison van on a major highway, taking five police officers hostage.

The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), one of the most active separatist groups in the region, has claimed responsibility for numerous attacks targeting Pakistani forces and infrastructure linked to foreign investment— particularly Chinese-backed projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

In March, the group launched a dramatic assault on a passenger train, seizing hundreds of hostages and killing several off-duty personnel during a three-day standoff.

Baloch insurgents have long accused Islamabad of exploiting local resources without fair compensation or representation for the province’s ethnic Baloch population. Pakistan denies the allegations and has vowed to continue counterinsurgency efforts in the region.

With inputs from agencies