Quetta: Two bridges on a China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) link road in Balochistan’s Washuk district have been destroyed by armed groups of Baloch rebels using explosives, local sources have said. These attacks seem a part of a series of attacks on transport routes, vehicles carrying minerals and security forces personnel in the region.
Besides blowing up the bridges, Baloch armed rebels of various groups fighting for independence from Pakistan, which they call occupying force, destroyed dozens of vehicles carrying minerals. In one incident, a convoy of around 60 vehicles was targeted and several of them were set on fire. This has created problems of transport of goods as transporters refused to commit their vehicles in this atmosphere of uncertainty. They have demanded that the transport services will be resumed only after the government provides them sufficient security.
The bridges were located in the Hurmagay area on a link road originating from Chagai district, the sources said. They said unidentified persons had planted explosives on the bridges, with loud blasts heard in the remote area. There were no immediate reports of casualties. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack at the time of publication, according to The Balochistan Post.
Transport services for minerals halted
The blasts are the latest in a continuing series of attacks on bridges, highways and mineral transport routes in Balochistan, which intensified after the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) announced last month that it had established “complete control” over the Quetta-Taftan highway. The group warned trucks, trailers and convoys carrying what it called “looted Baloch resources and minerals” not to use the route, saying it would no longer allow such vehicles to pass.
The BLA has claimed responsibility for a series of attacks on highways and infrastructure across Balochistan, stating that its fighters carried out 11 operations over a fortnight targeting vehicles, commercial convoys and transport routes linked to economic projects in Balochistan.
In a statement issued to the media, BLA spokesperson Jeeyand Baloch said the group had maintained control of sections of major highways during the period and targeted convoys associated with the Saindak mining project, fuel and gas transportation vehicles, and other vehicles that it alleged were contributing to the Pakistani state’s economic interests.
CPEC routes particularly vulnerable
According to the group, more than 36 vehicles were destroyed in the attacks, while two bridges on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) route were also damaged in explosions. The BLA stated that on June 1, its fighters temporarily took control of the Panjgur–Chedgi route for two days, during which six heavy vehicles were allegedly attacked and set on fire.
The group further claimed that on June 5, it established checkpoints on the Quetta–Karachi highway near Wallapat in Lasbela district and carried out vehicle inspections for more than an hour. It also alleged that fighters seized control of an excise checkpoint and a company site, where heavy machinery and 10 vehicles were set ablaze. According to the statement, one excise official was injured and three individuals, including a police officer, were briefly detained before being released.
The same statement said that BLA members also conducted temporary roadblocks on the Chamalang–Kohlu road and at two locations on the Quetta–Taftan highway in Nushki district. The group claimed that on June 7, it attacked a convoy transporting minerals from the Saindak project in the Kardegap area of Mastung district. According to the BLA, three mineral transport vehicles and one military vehicle were destroyed, while six Pakistani personnel were killed or injured.
It further alleged that a vehicle belonging to Pakistan State Oil was attacked in Mastung on June 9. The BLA said that on June 10, its fighters targeted another convoy carrying minerals near Rehmanzai in Nushki district, setting ten vehicles on fire and damaging several others.
BLA enforcing economic blockade
According to the group, on June 11, two bridges near Kharan and Washuk were destroyed using explosives. In its statement, the BLA described the attacks as part of what it called an “economic blockade” aimed at disrupting infrastructure, transport routes and projects that it associates with state economic activity in Balochistan. The group reiterated its opposition to projects including CPEC, the Saindak and Reko Diq mining projects, and other resource extraction initiatives.
Pakistani authorities had not publicly commented on the specific claims, casualty figures or the reported extent of the damage at the time of publication.
Balochistan has witnessed a long-running insurgency involving “pro-independence” armed groups and Pakistani forces. Armed organisations frequently issue statements claiming attacks on security personnel, infrastructure and economic projects, while official accounts and casualty figures often differ from those provided by the groups themselves.
