A Pakistan Coast Guard post came under a massive attack on Friday evening in the Panwan area of Jiwani, in Gwadar district of Pakistan's Balochistan province. The banned separatist group Baloch Liberation Army, or BLA, has claimed responsibility for the assault and says more than 30 Coast Guard personnel were killed, with several others wounded.
Explosives-Packed Truck Driven Straight Into The Post
According to BLA, the suicide attack was carried out by its special unit, the Majeed Brigade. The group says the attacker, identified as Ataullah Baloch, also known as Ajmal, rammed a Mazda truck loaded with explosives directly into the fortified Coast Guard post at around 6:32 pm on Friday, triggering a massive blast. BLA spokesperson Jeeyand Baloch said in a statement:
The powerful explosion reduced the fortress-like Coast Guard post entirely to rubble.
Fateh Squad Struck From All Four Sides
BLA's media wing, Hakkal, released a 43-second video clip showing the explosives-laden truck entering the post, followed shortly by a massive explosion. Further videos put out afterward claim to show large sections of the post completely destroyed. BLA says that as soon as the truck exploded, its combat unit, the Fateh Squad, launched a coordinated assault on the post from all four directions.
Claim Of Over 30 Soldiers Killed, Toll Expected To Rise
In its statement, the group said its forward unit, the Fateh Squad, moved in swiftly and in an organised manner to storm the already devastated post from every side. BLA claims its fighters engaged the surviving Coast Guard personnel in close quarters combat and killed more than 30 soldiers in the joint operation. Spokesperson Jeeyand Baloch added:
Given the critical condition of the wounded and personnel still buried under the rubble, the death toll is likely to rise further.
Pakistan's Military Silent, Claims Remain Unverified
BLA said it would soon release a detailed account of the operation through its official channels, and reiterated that its armed campaign against Pakistani security forces would continue at the same intensity until what it calls the complete independence of Balochistan is achieved. Pakistan's military and government officials, however, have not yet issued any official confirmation of the deaths, injuries or damage from the attack. As a result, BLA's claims could not be independently verified.
