Who Are The Baloch Rebels And What Fuels Their Struggle Against The Pakistani Government?

The Balochistan Liberation Army seeks independence for Balochistan, a province located in Pakistan’s southwest and bordering Afghanistan to the north and Iran to the west

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The Baloch are a Sunni Muslim ethnic group who live on both sides of the Iran-Pakistan border, and also in parts of southern Afghanistan. (Image: News18)

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Balochistan's mountainous border region serves as a safe haven and training ground for the Baloch insurgents and Islamist militants. The province is rich in natural resources such as gold, diamonds, silver, and copper. (Image: News18)

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Balochistan is an important part of China's $65 billion investment in the China Pakistan Economic Corridor. (Image: News18)

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For decades, the Baloch have been fighting for their autonomy or independence, which have been met with violent suppression on both sides of the border. (Image: News18)

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BLA militants have carried out attacks, particularly targeting Pakistani security forces and Beijing’s CPEC (China-Pakistan Economic Corridor) project. (Image: News18)

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The ethnic Baloch, who constitute a majority in Balochistan, are angry with the Pakistani government for what they perceive as unfair exploitation of their region’s resources. (Image: News18)

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The BLA said it blew up a railway track and opened fire on a passenger train on Tuesday, taking dozens of hostages. (Image: News18)

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Pakistan banned the BLA in 2006, and the United States designated it as a global terrorist organisation in 2019. (Image: News18)

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The BLA is the biggest of several ethnic insurgent groups that have battled the federal government for decades, saying it unfairly exploits Balochistan’s rich gas and mineral resources. (Image: News18)

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The Jaffar Express, carrying some 400 passengers in nine coaches, was going from Quetta to Peshawar when militants derailed it using explosives and hijacked it. (Image: News18)

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The BLA, in a statement, demanded the immediate and unconditional release of Baloch political prisoners, forcibly disappeared individuals, and national resistance activists. (Image: News18)

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Pakistan, which has been facing an economic crisis as well as a political crisis since 2023, has seen a wave of attacks on Pakistani forces. (Image: News18)

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Balochistan has witnessed an uptick in terrorist attacks over the past year. In November 2024, at least 26 people were killed and 62 injured after a suicide blast ripped through a Quetta Railway Station. (Image: News18)