On Monday (25th March) evening, Pakistan’s second-largest naval air station, PNS Siddique in Turbat, came under attack with gunfire and multiple explosions reported from the area.
As per the Pakistani media reports, the Majeed Brigade of the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) banned by the country has claimed responsibility for the attack on the Naval Airbase in Turbat. The Majeed Brigade disagrees with China’s investments in the Balochistan area and protests against China and Pakistan for exploiting the region’s resources.
As per The Balochistan Post, the BLA claimed its fighters had entered the airbase. Furthermore, Chinese drones have also been stationed at the base. Following the incident, District Health Officer Kech declared an emergency at Teaching Hospital Turbat, and all doctors were instructed to attend to duty immediately.
Pakistan’s naval base reportedly under attack https://t.co/c4jzFYxJON
— Smita Prakash (@smitaprakash) March 25, 2024
Reports also mention that 4 armed assailants have been killed by the Pakistani Security Forces as the latter tried to foil the attack. Pakistani authorities claim that the 4 were quickly spotted and killed when they tried to enter the naval facility in Turbat, a district in Balochistan.
🚨🇵🇰BREAKING: PAKISTAN NAVAL BASE UNDER ATTACK
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) March 25, 2024
Heavy gunfire, explosions, and low-flying helicopters have been reported over Turbat as the Majeed Brigade of the Baloch Liberation Army claims an attack on the naval base is underway.
Source: @TBPEnglish pic.twitter.com/VGLRltstt5
Notably, the BLA Majeed Brigade’s strike in Turbat today is its second of the week and third of the year. Earlier, on Wednesday (20th March), Pakistan’s Gwadar port, which falls on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), came under attack with reports of gunfire and blasts. Armed assailants forcibly entered the Gwadar Port Authority Complex and opened firing while multiple blasts were also been reported.
According to Pakistani media reports, the Majeed Brigade of the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) had claimed responsibility for the attack on Gwadar port. Also, on 29th January, Mach City, Military Intelligence’s headquarters in Gwadar was attacked by the BLA.
It is important to note that Gwadar is strategically located near the Strait of Hormuz, which is a key shipping route for oil in the Arabian Sea. The seaport is part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Chinese President Xi Jinping’s flagship project. China has made significant investments in mineral-rich Balochistan as part of its Belt and Road Initiative, including the development of the Gwadar port.
However, Balochistan advocacy organizations have protested the development, citing it as an exploitation of local resources by the Chinese and Pakistani armies. Several armed groups demanding liberation from Pakistan have also targeted Chinese assets in the region, attempting to delay or entirely halt the CPEC project. In August last year, armed assailants attacked a convoy of Chinese workers in Gwadar. BLA had also claimed responsibility for that attack.
Additionally, many ethnic-separatist and terrorist organizations, including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Lashkar e-Tayyiba, Lashkar e-Jhangvi, Daesh, and the Balochistan Liberation Front are currently active in this region.
Pakistan has seen a rise in such attacks in the last year, particularly in KP and Balochistan, following the collapse of the ceasefire between the proscribed militant group Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan and the government in November 2022.
