Twelve soldiers are killed and ten seriously injured in a suicide attack

The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attack. BLA had also claimed responsibility for the recent attack on a train station that killed 26 people. The Pakistani government and security establishment have taken serious note of the increasing spike in militant attacks in Balochistan and have formally approved a comprehensive military operation against organizations operating in the province.

A high-level meeting of the apex committee at the Prime Minister’s residence approved a military operation in Balochistan against terror groups including Majeed Brigade, BLA, Baloch Liberation Front and Baloch Raaji Aajoi Sangar. The groups have reportedly been involved in several attacks on security forces, civilians and foreigners, especially Chinese nationals working on the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)-related projects in Pakistan.

The summit committee, chaired by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, was attended by the country’s army chief General Syed Asim Munir, ministers, prime ministers and senior government officials.

“The participants of the meeting were briefed on the evolving security landscape and the measures being taken to counter terrorism and other critical challenges, including the overall law and order situation, actions against attempts to combat sub-nationalism, religious extremism, tackling of the illicit spectrum and crime-terror nexus, subversion and disinformation campaigns, among others,” said a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office after the meeting.

During the meeting, Munir asserted that he was determined to remove all threats to the country’s national security. “Anyone who blocks Pakistan’s security or tries to prevent them from doing their duty will face the music. Every Pakistani is a soldier in the war against terror whether he is in uniform or not,” the army chief reportedly said at the meeting.