The spokesperson for the Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF), Major Gwahram Baloch, issued a statement to the media claiming that BLF fighters took control of large parts of Surab city on the evening of July 20 and set up checkpoints at three different points along the Quetta-Karachi highway, where they conducted vehicle searches.
According to the statement, the fighters treated passengers respectfully during the searches, and no anti-Baloch individuals were found.
The spokesperson further stated that the fighters set up blockades at Haji Hotel and Gidar Cross, surrounding the customs officials and calling on them to surrender. One officer reportedly resisted and was injured in a swift retaliatory action. All the officials were eventually detained, and their government-issued weapons were confiscated. The checkpost was later set on fire.
The statement adds that another contingent of the “occupying forces” attempted to engage the fighters during this operation. However, the fighters launched a counterattack, forcing them to retreat. Surveillance drones and quadcopters were deployed to monitor the fighters’ movements, but were reportedly shot down by BLF. Mortar shells were fired using quadcopters to target the fighters during the blockade, but they managed to withdraw safely to secure locations.
In a separate operation on the morning of July 21, around 7:30 a.m., BLF fighters claimed to have targeted a vehicle in a Pakistani military convoy with an IED in the Rakhshan area of Washuk. The vehicle was reportedly en route from a central military camp to Board Hotel when it was attacked. The blast completely destroyed the vehicle, killing six personnel on board.
Later that morning, around 10 a.m., BLF claimed another successful operation in the Dasht area near Quetta. The group said its fighters targeted a Frontier Corps vehicle near Omar Darwaza as the forces were allegedly extorting money from transport vehicles. Two personnel were killed in the attack and several others were injured.
