Eighteen paramilitary personnel were killed and three others seriously wounded in an ambush in southwest Pakistan’s Balochistan province, local officials confirmed on Saturday.
The attack took place near the town of Mangochar, where a vehicle “carrying unarmed Frontier Corps personnel” was intercepted by 70 to 80 heavily armed assailants who had blocked the road, a police official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
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The gunmen opened fire, killing 17 of the passengers on board. A paramilitary who arrived to assist was also killed in the attack.
Three others were critically injured, while two managed to escape unscathed.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far, but Balochistan has long been plagued by sectarian, ethnic, and separatist violence.
The province, which borders Afghanistan and Iran, has seen a surge in attacks in recent months.
In January, six people were killed in a bombing claimed by the separatist Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), which has frequently targeted security forces and civilians, particularly those from other provinces.
The BLA has also attacked foreign-funded energy projects, including those backed by China, accusing outsiders of exploiting the province’s vast natural resources while neglecting local communities.
In November, the BLA took responsibility for a bombing at Quetta’s main railway station that killed 26 people, including 14 soldiers. Just months earlier, in August, the group launched a series of coordinated attacks that left at least 39 people dead, marking one of the deadliest escalations in recent years.
Violence has also surged beyond Balochistan, with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province witnessing an increase in militant attacks.
The Pakistani military reported that in 2024 alone, 383 soldiers and 925 militants were killed in various clashes.
