KHARAN/ KECH/NASEERABAD: Armed fighters maintained their grip on key highways in Kharan for a second consecutive day on Wednesday, as fresh attacks on Pakistani security forces were reported in Turbat and a critical bridge connecting Balochistan to Sindh was destroyed in Naseerabad, signalling a widespread and deeply troubling security crisis across the Balochistan.
In Kharan, armed individuals continued to hold control over the Sarawan area along the Kharan-Karachi highway and the Nawroz Kalat area on the Kharan-Quetta highway, with fighters also extending their reach by seizing control of the Zarozai area during the course of the day.
The blockade, which began the previous day, effectively cut off major arterial routes connecting Kharan to the rest of the Balochistan. Intense clashes broke out between Pakistani security forces and armed fighters in the Sarawan area on Wednesday morning, with fighting reported to be ongoing at the time of this report.
No details regarding casualties or losses on either side have been confirmed so far. Two bridges on the Sarawan highway were also targeted and demolished using explosive material, further disrupting movement along one of the district’s most critical road links.
In Turbat, attackers targeted a Pakistani security forces checkpoint in the Hairabad area of the city, opening fire and detonating explosives during the assault. The surveillance cameras installed at the checkpoint were also destroyed in the attack, leaving the post without any monitoring capability. The incident occurred on the same day that separate attacks on Pakistani security forces were reported in the districts of Basima and Kharan, suggesting a pattern of simultaneous and coordinated militant activity across the Balochsitan.
In Naseerabad, unidentified individuals targeted a key bridge on the main highway connecting Balochistan to Sindh using explosive material. The blast caused partial damage to the bridge and disrupted traffic on the vital interprovincial route. The attack is part of a series of recent bombings targeting bridges across various parts of Balochistan, for which Baloch separatist armed organisations have previously claimed responsibility. However, no group has yet claimed responsibility for these particular incidents.
