Recently, multiple attacks have taken place in the southwestern province of Balochistan in Pakistan, resulting in the deaths of over fifty people. The separatist organization, Balochistan Liberation Army, claimed responsibility for the recent series of large-scale attacks on Tuesday, August 27th, and warned of even “more intense and widespread” attacks to come. The country’s Prime Minister stated that these attacks are aimed at disrupting and derailing the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.
According to a report by the Associated Press, the banned Balochistan Liberation Army claimed that 800 of its trained fighters participated in the gunfights and bombings that began on Sunday, August 25th, without causing harm to civilians.
For years, the Balochistan Liberation Army has targeted Pakistani government security forces with small-scale attacks and has formed alliances with the Taliban within the country.
The recent spate of attacks is the largest in years, targeting Pakistani security forces and police in various locations, killing passengers in vehicles stopped on roads, and damaging infrastructures such as roads and railways. Apart from over a dozen military personnel and police officers killed in the attacks, along with the deaths of over twenty militants, several dozen civilians have also been killed in the assaults.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan stated during a cabinet meeting that there will be no negotiations with the organization responsible for the attacks. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi mentioned to reporters in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan, that there is no need for large-scale operations as the police can eliminate these insurgents.
Chief Minister of Balochistan, Sarfraz Bugti, stated on Monday, August 26th, that a total of 53 individuals, including security forces personnel, lost their lives in these attacks. Actions against the insurgents are ongoing, and he emphasized that those who have killed innocent civilians and security forces personnel will face severe punishment.
The Pakistan military announced on Tuesday that they had killed 25 armed militants in the northwest region in recent days.
According to a Reuters report, Prime Minister Sharif mentioned that the attacks in Balochistan are aimed at disrupting and thwarting the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project. In a televised address to the cabinet, he stated, “Terrorists want to stop CPEC and development projects.” He pointed out that extremists are attempting to sow discord between Islamabad and Beijing.
The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is one of the flagship projects of China’s Belt and Road Initiative. China has pledged $65 billion to aid in the development of infrastructure in Pakistan, including connecting China’s Xinjiang region to the southwestern Gwadar port in Pakistan via highways and railways. Gwadar port, a deep-sea port, is operated by China. Reports suggest that this project faces strong opposition from separatist forces in Balochistan and has become a target for radical militants in the region.
A spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lin Jian, strongly condemned the attacks in Pakistan during a routine press briefing on Tuesday, expressing China’s unwavering support for Pakistan’s counter-terrorism efforts. He stated, “China is willing to further enhance counter-terrorism security cooperation with Pakistan to jointly maintain regional peace and security.”
In recent years, Chinese personnel involved in the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and Chinese nationals working in Pakistan have been repeatedly targeted by armed militants. Beijing has expressed concerns about the safety of Chinese personnel involved in construction projects in Pakistan, particularly in Balochistan. In March of this year, six Chinese engineers were killed while working on a dam in the northwest region.
Balochistan is the poorest and least developed region in Pakistan. Various separatist armed groups in the area have launched attacks on Chinese targets involved in local development. These separatist groups have been fighting for decades to have a share of the region’s abundant mineral resources, claiming that the central government of Pakistan has ignored their demands.