Three personnel of the Pakistan Coast Guard were killed in a reported armed attack in the coastal waters of Jiwani, a town in Gwadar district, Balochistan, on Sunday. According to official sources, the incident occurred while a Pakistani forces’ patrol boat was conducting routine operations in the coastal waters off Jiwani. The vessel was reportedly targeted by unidentified armed individuals, who opened fire, resulting in the deaths of three personnel at the scene, according to The Balochistan Post.
As a result of the incident, three personnel lost their lives. The deceased have been identified as Naik Afzal, Sepoy Jameel, and Sepoy Umair. Pakistani authorities have not yet released further details regarding the identity of the attackers or the precise circumstances of the incident. No group has claimed responsibility so far. However, it may have been carried out by one of the armed groups of Baloch who are fighting for the freedom of Balochistan from Pakistan.
Initial reports indicate that the attack took place at sea, marking it the first reported instance of an attack targeting Pakistani forces in the coastal waters of Balochistan. Further detailed information may be available much later as the officials refused to say anything on record except confirming the incident.
Meanwhile, Pakistani forces have imposed strict restrictions on civilian movements in the Noshki district of Balochistan. According to reports emerging from Quetta, the city of Noshki has been placed under a security lockdown, with Pakistani forces imposing strict restrictions on movement and shutting down local markets. Entry and exit points to the city were reportedly blocked with heavy checkpoints, preventing people from travelling in or out on Sunday.
Locals said that a large number of security personnel were deployed early in the morning across key areas, including Noshki Bazaar, Qaziabad, Grid Station, and Ghareebabad, where civilians were restricted from moving freely. One local source told The Balochistan Post that the presence of forces had effectively placed the city under complete siege conditions.
The development follows an earlier operation in Killi Qadirabad a day before, where Pakistani forces reportedly surrounded the area for several hours. Locals reported hearing gunfire during the operation, although no official confirmation has been issued. According to reports, two individuals, identified as Abid Mengal, son of Noor Mohammad Mengal, and Tahir Khan, son of Mohammad Rahim Jan Badini, were taken into custody from Qadirabad and allegedly moved to an undisclosed location. Authorities have yet to comment on the arrests or the broader operation.
Noshki has been under partial curfew measures for the past two months. Under these restrictions, markets are required to close in the evening and may reopen after 9:00 am, while nighttime travel remains restricted.
The action of the security forces was apparently in response to the Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) highway blockades and attacks on Pakistani forces in the Turbat and Nushki regions of Balochistan between April 9 and 11. In a statement, BLF spokesperson Major Gwahram Baloch said that on April 9, fighters blocked the M-8 highway near Shah Dad Hotel in Turbat and seized a police checkpoint at Lodhi Jangjah, taking control of weapons and conducting snap-checking for around two hours.
He said the fighters then destroyed surveillance cameras, solar panels and other equipment installed on a nearby hilltop, adding that a mobile tower in the area was also targeted. Gwahram Baloch said that during their withdrawal, BLF fighters ambushed a six-vehicle Pakistani Army convoy, damaging vehicles and “shooting down quadcopters” deployed for aerial surveillance, while claiming that multiple personnel were killed and injured.
According to the statement, on April 10, BLF fighters blocked a highway in Nushki Daak for around two hours and detained a police motorcycle patrol, “confiscating a pistol and a wireless set” before releasing the officers. He added that on April 11, BLF fighters “overran a police checkpoint” in the Ahmad Wal Mahssaski area of Nushki, disarmed personnel and seized official weapons before allowing the officers to leave.
Gwahram Baloch said that “no military or economic installation of the enemy in Balochistan will be left secure”, adding that operations would continue until what he described as the region’s “complete liberation”.
