Two soldiers were killed and four injured in an attack in Pakistan’s tumultuous southwestern province of Balochistan on March 31, officials told RFERL’s Radio Mashaal.
Balochistan has seen an uptick in violence since the beginning of 2024 with more than a dozen attacks killing about 50 people. Scores more have been injured.
On March 20, one person was killed and 14 others injured in a bombing in Balochistan.
Javed Domki, the district administrator, said an improvised explosive device (IED) detonated alongside vehicles carrying oil and gas workers as well as members of the military.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), which has been designated a terrorist organization by the United States, claimed responsibility for the attack.
The BLA, which was formed in 2000, is seeking to create an independent Balochistan state and regularly carries out attacks against government forces in the region.
The March 30 attack targeted members of Pakistan’s Mari Petroleum Company. The BLA believes that Pakistan’s central government is exploiting the province’s mineral resources.
Balochistan, the largest province of Pakistan, is rich in natural resources like gold, copper, oil, and natural gas. However, it is also the country’s poorest, feeding resentment among the Baloch people who inhabit the region.