ISLAMABAD: A Pakistan Army major was among three soldiers killed when their vehicle was targeted by an improvised explosive device in Balochistan’s Mastung district, the military said late Wednesday night, adding that security forces later killed four militants in a retaliatory operation.
Balochistan, which borders Afghanistan and Iran, is strategically important due to its mineral wealth and its role as a transit hub for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
However, the province has long been gripped by a separatist insurgency, with groups such as the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) ramping up attacks in recent years. Islamabad calls these outfits proxies of Indian intelligence, branding them “Fitna-e-Hindustan,” India’s mischief, though the charge is denied by New Delhi.
“On night 5/6 August 2025, terrorists belonging to Indian proxy Fitna al Hindustan, targeted a Security Forces’ vehicle with an improvised explosive device in Mastung District,” the Inter-Service Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.
This handout photo, released on August 6, 2025 shows three Pakistan army soldiers killed in Balochistan blast. (Handout/ISPR)
