Nine Pakistani Soldiers Killed in Militant Attack on Balochistan’s Washuk District

At least nine Pakistani soldiers were killed and six others injured on Monday after dozens of militants launched a coordinated assault in Balochistan’s Washuk district, officials confirmed. The attackers targeted both a police station and a Frontier Corps compound in the Basima area, ransacking government buildings and leaving a trail of destruction.

According to a senior Washuk district official, the military casualties occurred when army personnel responded to the attack. “The army was attacked by terrorists on their way to respond. The terrorists killed nine soldiers,” the official told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Security sources said the attack involved 40 to 50 armed militants on motorbikes, who stormed the facilities and used hand grenades during the assault. The Frontier Corps compound was among the hardest hit, with heavy gunfire exchanged before reinforcements arrived.

While no group has claimed responsibility, authorities suspect the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA)—the most active militant organization in the province—may have been involved. The BLA has claimed similar high-profile attacks in the past.

The incident came on the same day the US State Department officially designated the BLA as a foreign terrorist organization, upgrading its previous classification as a “specially designated global terrorist” group. The move allows Washington to impose stricter sanctions, particularly targeting the group’s financial networks.

This heightened designation follows a series of deadly assaults attributed to the BLA in recent months. Analysts note that the decision could mark a shift in US-Pakistan relations, with increased security cooperation on counterterrorism efforts.

Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest but least populated province, has long been plagued by insurgency. Separatist groups, including the BLA, demand greater autonomy and a larger share of the region’s natural resource revenues.

Human rights organizations and Baloch activists have accused Pakistan’s military of responding with enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and widespread intimidation—allegations the government denies.

Monday’s deadly raid has renewed fears of escalating violence in the region, particularly as insurgent groups adapt their tactics and intensify attacks on security forces. Officials warn that large-scale assaults like this highlight ongoing challenges in securing remote districts such as Washuk.