Five Pakistani Soldiers Killed In Roadside Blast After Remote-Controlled Bomb Goes Off In Balochistan

Last Updated:March 16, 2026, 23:46 IST

Sources said a sophisticated remote-controlled explosive device went off as the security personnel were returning from a high-stakes mission to eradicate local poppy cultivation

Five Pakistani soldiers were killed and several others left injured in a roadside bombing in the Balochistan province.

According to sources, the security forces were targeted in the volatile Dukki district of Balochistan. A sophisticated remote-controlled explosive device went off as they were returning from a high-stakes mission to eradicate local poppy cultivation in the region, they said.

The sources said the incident took place in the Killi Bakhtiyar Luni area, where a security vehicle was returning to base after successfully carrying out an anti-narcotics operation. The explosion was timed to directly strike the vehicle, resulting in the immediate deaths of five soldiers and leaving multiple others with injuries.

They said security forces quickly cordoned off the area, and launched an investigation to track those responsible. While no group has formally claimed responsibility at this stage, authorities strongly suspect that the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) orchestrated the attack.

The BLA, the sources said, has significantly “intensified operations against Pakistani security forces across Balochistan in recent months". This incident highlights the persistent regional instability driven by separatist factions, who have long-standing grievances against the Pakistani government.

They said such groups frequently cite “political marginalisation and resource exploitation" as the primary drivers behind their insurgency. The ambush in Dukki reflects a broader, more dangerous trend of insurgent activity in the province, where armed groups are increasingly moving away from conventional faceoffs.

Instead, they are heavily relying on improvised weaponry, specifically “improvised explosive devices and targeted ambushes", to challenge state authority and “inflict casualties on security personnel", the sources said. The Dukki district has become a flashpoint for such violence, having “witnessed repeated insurgent activity" in recent times.

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