Baloch insurgents claim killing 30 Pakistani security personnel in Gwadar coast guard camp suicide attack

New Delhi: The banned Pakistani separatist group Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has claimed responsibility for a major suicide assault on a Pakistan Coast Guards camp in the Panwan area of Jiwani in Gwadar district, Balochistan. The separatist outfit alleged that more than 30 security personnel were killed and dozens of others injured, although the claims have not been independently verified.

According to the Balochistan Post, citing a statement issued by the BLA, the attack began at around 6:32pm (local time) on July 3 when an explosives-laden Mazda vehicle was allegedly driven into the coast guard facility and detonated. The group identified the alleged attacker as Attaullah Baloch, also known as Ajmal, and said he was a member of its elite “Majeed Brigade”, describing the operation as a fidayeen (suicide) mission.

The report further reported that the blast caused extensive destruction at the camp, after which fighters from the BLA’s “Fateh Squad” allegedly entered the damaged compound and launched a coordinated assault on surviving security personnel. The group claimed several personnel were trapped beneath the debris, while many others sustained serious injuries.

The BLA said more than 30 Pakistani security personnel were killed in the attack and warned that the toll could rise because some of the wounded were in critical condition. However, neither the Pakistan Army nor the Pakistan Coast Guards had issued an official statement confirming the attack.

Videos claiming to depict the attack have been shared widely on social media platforms. Previously the Majeed Brigade has been accused of a series of high-profile suicide attacks against Pakistani troops and strategic installations.

Balochistan has been the site of a decades-old separatist insurgency, with armed groups accusing Islamabad of exploiting the province’s vast natural resources while denying local communities greater political and economic rights. Pakistani officials deny the charges, saying security operations are aimed at countering militancy and protecting national infrastructure.

The reported attack took place in Gwadar district, home to Pakistan’s strategically important deep-sea port and a key component of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Separatist groups, including the BLA, have repeatedly targeted security forces, government installations and infrastructure projects linked to the multibillion-dollar initiative.

In its statement, the BLA reiterated that its armed campaign would continue until what it described as the complete independence of Balochistan, referring to Pakistani security forces as “occupying forces”. The organization designated as a terrorist group by Pakistan and several other countries.