BLF claims 76 killed in Nokundi attack; ISPR remains silent on casualty numbers

The Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) claimed responsibility on Thursday for an attack on the Frontier Corps’ brigade headquarters in Nokundi, located in Balochistan’s Chagai district. According to the group, their fighters killed 76 Pakistani military personnel and several foreign employees during the assault. The BLF also reported that six of their fighters lost their lives in the operation.

In a statement to the media, BLF spokesperson Major Gwahram Baloch explained that members of the Saddo Operational Battalion (SOB) launched the attack at 8:19 p.m. on November 30. They targeted a compound described as housing offices and residential quarters for foreign staff involved in the Saindak and Reko Diq mining projects.

The group claimed they took multiple foreign employees hostage after breaking into the facility. They stated that Pakistani forces responded with SSG commandos, drones, helicopters, and heavy weaponry in repeated attempts to repel the attack, but the BLF fighters said they successfully resisted each effort.

The BLF also claimed they offered an opportunity for negotiations, but alleged that 18 hours later, the Pakistani military chose to escalate the situation with artillery and aerial strikes on the compound. They reported that the operation resulted in the deaths of six SOB fighters and that 76 security personnel, including foreign hostages, were killed during the confrontation.

Pakistani authorities, meanwhile, confirmed that security forces completed a clearance operation two days after the attack. They stated that all six militants involved in the assault were killed during this operation. Official reports indicate that the attackers entered the compound after a female suicide bomber detonated herself at the main gate. Security forces added that three armed men were killed immediately, while the remaining three managed to enter the building and take hostages before being killed.

Until late Thursday, the Pakistani military’s media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), had not issued any statement regarding the attack, casualties, or the claims made by the BLF.

In a political statement accompanying their operational claim, the BLF described Balochistan as “an occupied region” and asserted that the Baloch people are “struggling for freedom from forced occupation.” The group called on the international community to support and respect the Baloch national liberation movement, alleging that the Baloch face “severe genocide and colonial exploitation” under Pakistani rule. Citing the UN Charter, international law, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the BLF argued that the Baloch nation deserves intervention from global institutions to restore its independence.

The group also demanded investigations into what they described as Pakistan’s “enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, political and human rights violations, and war crimes in Balochistan.” Pakistani authorities have denied these allegations.

The BLF condemned projects like the Reko Diq and Saindak copper-and-gold mines, as well as infrastructure initiatives such as the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), labeling them “colonial projects” aimed at plundering Baloch resources. They argued these initiatives serve to strengthen Pakistan’s control over the region, and that presenting them as development efforts for Balochistan is a “blatant lie.” The group accused Pakistan of unlawfully seizing Balochistan’s land, minerals, coastline, and natural wealth, alleging that these resources are auctioned off to foreign companies without the consent of the Baloch people. They maintained that only an independent Balochistan has the legal right to negotiate with foreign firms and that Pakistan and its local collaborators have no moral or legal authority to benefit from Baloch resources.

The BLF reaffirmed that their call for Balochistan’s independence is a “legal and natural right,” emphasizing that it is a conscious and legitimate decision of the Baloch nation. They argued that international law, including the UN Charter, recognizes the right to sovereignty and independence. The group believes that achieving independence is essential for peace, stability, and development in the region.

Finally, the BLF expressed their readiness to make any sacrifices necessary for independence, asserting that their movement has the support of the Baloch population.