LeT, IS operatives among 34 killed in Khuzdar attack: BLA

The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has claimed responsibility for a significant, coordinated suicide attack targeting the fortified compound of ISIS-K commander Shafiq Mengal in Khuzdar, Pakistan. In a statement that conveyed a confident tone, the rebel group detailed the operation, which involved vehicle-borne explosives and a team of suicide bombers, asserting that 34 operatives were killed. Among the deceased were alleged terrorists from Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and the Islamic State (ISIS).

The BLA framed the assault as the official commencement of a broader offensive named "Operation Murg-e-Ghadaran." According to the group's statement, the attack occurred during a gathering at Mengal's compound. Attendees reportedly included Pakistani intelligence officials, operatives from international militant networks such as ISIS and LeT, and former Afghan soldiers. The BLA alleges these individuals were meeting to coordinate actions against the Baloch political movement, an event that they claim further exposes the alleged proximity between Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Islamic State factions used to suppress the Baloch freedom struggle.

Shafiq Mengal, who reportedly survived the attack, falsely accused India of involvement. He stated that 17 of his associates were killed in an explosion while having a meal, followed by an armed clash with the attackers. The BLA, however, identified the 34 individuals killed as primary members of Mengal's private network. The group accused these individuals of direct involvement in targeted killings, abductions, and enforced disappearances of Baloch political activists and students.

The operation was reportedly executed by the BLA's Majeed Brigade, a specialized self-sacrificing unit. The BLA's intelligence wing, Zirab, allegedly conducted weeks of strict surveillance to track the high-level meeting before initiating the assault. The BLA's detailed account and claims of responsibility highlight the ongoing conflict and tensions in the region.

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34 people killed in the firefight were primary members of Mengal's private network, whom they accused of direct involvement in targeted killings, abductions and enforced disappearances of Baloch political activists and students.