The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has announced that it has established a naval wing and released footage of what it described as its first maritime operation in the Jiwani area of Gwadar. In a detailed statement, the group said it had formed the “Hammal Maritime Defence Force (HMDF)” as its formal naval unit, describing it as the beginning of what it called a “national navy” to protect the Baloch seas, according to a report in The Balochistan Post.
BLA spokesperson Jeeyand Baloch said late on April 13 the unit carried out its first operation around 10:00 AM at a location identified as “Mil Tiyab” in the Jiwani area, where fighters targeted a patrolling boat of what he described as the “occupying Pakistani Navy”. The group claimed that all three personnel on board were killed, identifying them as Naik Afzal, Sepoy Jameel and Sepoy Umar, adding that its fighters “successfully reached their secure hideouts” after the operation.
The BLA launching an attack on the maritime assets of Pakistan is a new security challenge for them, a difficult one as the rebel group has already acquired drones. The group can now carry out attacks on land, attacks through the air using drones and also record this maritime attack.
Maritime Domain
“Following the operations on land, the action in maritime boundaries marks a new and critical development in the BLA’s military strategy,” the group said. It added that the formation of HMDF marked the beginning of a new phase in its struggle, stating that “the Baloch national independence movement has now entered a stage where… its maritime boundaries will also prove to be an inevitable graveyard for the enemy.”
The group said the new naval unit would remain ready to “stop the maritime plunder of Baloch resources, paralyze the enemy’s naval movements, and defend the occupied coasts.” The BLA’s media wing, Hakkal, also released a two-minute and 32-second video showing the attack. The footage shows four masked fighters moving towards the sea before boarding a speedboat.
In the video, the fighters say, “As long as even one son of the Baloch remains on this land, we will not allow you to remain on this sea or this land.” They add, “We are ready today, we were ready yesterday, and we will remain ready in the future… you will be struck everywhere.”
The footage then shows the fighters at sea approaching and opening fire on a vessel identified as a Pakistan Coast Guard boat. The BLA said the unit had been named after Hammal Jeehand Baloch, a historical figure it described as having led naval resistance against Portuguese forces along the Baloch coast in the 16th century.
Hammal History
The statement described Hammal Jeehand as “an eternal symbol of honour, bravery, and maritime defence,” adding that the naming reflected a continuation of that historical resistance.
“The BLA has chosen this name to reiterate the resolve that our current resistance is a continuation of this prestigious historical heritage,” it said, adding that the new force would “expel the contemporary occupiers from the Baloch seas.”
The group also warned that its “military scope is no longer limited only to the mountains and cities,” adding that it had developed the capability to target forces “in the deep seas, including naval installations’’ and assets. “Our war will continue with full intensity until the complete withdrawal of the enemy,” the statement said.
The BLA said the operation was an “expansion of its operational reach into maritime areas”. Security and local government officials in the Makran division said the attack took place during a routine patrol within Jiwani’s maritime limits.
The reported maritime attack comes amid a broader pattern of evolving tactics by Baloch armed groups, particularly the BLA, which has in recent months expanded operations beyond conventional ground engagements. For several years, different armed Baloch groups have attacked Pakistani security forces on land. However, two new dimensions, air attacks by drones and attacks on the Pakistani Coast Guards, are altogether new.
Acquisition of Drones
Earlier this year, the BLA announced the launch of its aerial unit “QAHR” (Qazi Aero Hive Rangers) during what it described as the second phase of “Operation Herof”, saying the unit had carried out drone attacks on targets including Gwadar Port.
In a statement issued at the time, Jeeyand Baloch said the unit had “successfully completed its initial operations” and that drone technology enabled the group to conduct long-range strikes and reach “sensitive locations” at “unexpected moments”.
He added that modern warfare was no longer confined to the ground, describing “QAHR” as the organisation’s “initial but significant presence” in air and other domains. The Arabic word Qahr can mean anger, grief, devastation, suffering and persecution too. But one of its meanings and import is devastation wreaked on any enemy as revenge.
The reported use of drone strikes during “Operation Herof” and now an attack on a patrol vessel in open waters marks an expansion of the group’s operational scope, which analysts say could significantly add to security challenges for Pakistan in Balochistan.
