Pakistan maintains only 5 killed in attack on military convoy; BLA releases suicide bombing video

A day after the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed 90 security force personnel were killed in an attack on Pakistani military convoy, Islamabad maintained that only five were killed in the attack in Noshki.

The authorities said three Frontier Corps (FC) personnel and two civilians were among those killed. Thirty others were also injured in the attack that happened on the Noshki-Dalbandin National Highway.

Citing evidence, police said a suicide attacker rammed a vehicle laden with explosives into the convoy.

The BLA has released a new video of the attack that was shared on X. The viral clip created by Hakkal Media Presentation shows the bus getting blown up and a thick smoke spiralling into the sky. It also shows the remains of the burnt bus at a close range. Another bus was also damage partially in the explosion.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the "cowardly" attack, saying such incidents "cannot shake our resolve against terrorism". Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti have also slammed that attack.

Earlier, Balochistan saw another ambush with the BLA militants hijacking the Jaffar Express train, which carried 440 passengers. According to the official version, 26 hostages, including 18 military and Frontier Corps personnel, three railway employees and five civilians, were killed. The authorities said all 33 militants were also killed. Around 37 hostages who were injured were hospitalised.

The Pakistani authorities linked the attack to Afghanistan, alleging the hijackers were in touch with handlers on the other side of the border.

The area has frequently been attacked by Baloch militants who target railway tracks with rockets and bombs. They also target China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects and even Chinese citizens working in the province.