9 soldiers killed in separatist attack in Pakistan’s Balochistan

At least nine soldiers have been killed in an armed attack by separatists in Pakistan’s volatile southwestern province of Balochistan, AFP reported on Tuesday.

According to a government official, several dozen armed separatists attacked a police station and a border security outpost in Washuk district. As troops were on their way to the scene, they came under fire, leaving at least nine soldiers dead and six others wounded.

An official from Balochistan’s Home Department said that between 40 and 50 separatists arrived on motorcycles and attacked government buildings. They also hurled hand grenades at the Frontier Corps base in the town of Basima. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, though the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) is known to be active in the area.

The attack took place on the same day the US State Department designated the Baloch Liberation Army, an armed separatist group seeking independence for Balochistan, as a “foreign terrorist organization.”

Balochistan has long been at the center of a separatist insurgency. The province is rich in gold and copper resources and is home to the strategically importantb Gwadar port, where China has made significant investments. Separatists have been engaged in frequent clashes with security forces in their bid for an independent Balochistan.