Video: In first naval operation, Baloch rebels kill Pak soldiers off Gwadar coast

The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) said it had conducted its first-ever maritime attack on Pakistani security forces and killed three soldiers of the coast guard. The Baloch rebels conducted the strike near Jiwani, a coastal town in Balochistan. The BLA attack targeted a Pakistan Coast Guard patrol boat in the Arabian Sea, marking a notable shift in the group's operational strategy. A video shared by the BLA's media wing, Hakkal, shows Baloch rebels on a speed boat targeting the Pakistani soldiers with a burst of machine gun fire.

According to Pakistan-based The Balochistan Post (TBA) news, armed BLA fighters opened fire on the vessel on Sunday while it was on a routine patrol near the Pakistan-Iran maritime boundary, killing three Coast Guard personnel on board. Pakistani intelligence and police officials said the boat was patrolling the coastal area close to the Pakistan-Iran border when the armed Baloch rebels opened fire.

According to the news agency ANI, the BLA claimed that all three personnel on board were killed and identified them as Naik Afzal, Sepoy Jameel, and Sepoy Umar.

The Balochistan Post on Sunday confirmed the authenticity of the over two-minute video, and said it was shared by the BLA's Hakkal.

BALOCH REBELS SAY MARITIME ATTACK EXPANDS OPERATIONAL REACH

The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) said in a statement that it had targeted a vessel near Jiwani, describing the operation as an "expansion of its operational reach into maritime areas." The BLA termed the strike as the beginning of a new phase in its insurgency, signalling a move beyond its traditional land-based operations into maritime territory.

BLA spokesperson Jeeyand Baloch described the move as a "new and critical development" in the group’s strategy following operations on land, the TBA reported. The news outlet also reported that he said the objective was "to halt the plunder of Baloch resources through sea routes and to inflict losses upon the enemy on every front."

The attack occurred close to Gwadar, a strategically important port linked to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), raising further concerns over the security of critical infrastructure in the region.

BLA'S NAVAL ATTACK A TACTICAL SHIFT, SAY EXPERTS

Pakistani analysts view this as a tactical shift that could expand the scope of conflict in Balochistan, a region already grappling with long-running separatist unrest. After the attack, Pakistani authorities have intensified coastal security and launched an investigation.

The development underscores the evolving nature of militancy in Balochistan, where insurgent groups appear to be testing new fronts, potentially reshaping security dynamics both on land and at sea.

In a statement released by the BLA, the group said it had created the Hammal Maritime Defence Force (HMDF) as its official naval division, calling it the start of what it described as a "national navy" aimed at safeguarding Baloch maritime territory. BLA spokesperson Jeeyand Baloch said the unit conducted its first operation at around 10:00 AM at a site referred to as "Mil Tiyab" in the Jiwani area, where its fighters allegedly targeted a patrolling vessel of what he termed the "occupying Pakistani Navy," according to TBP.