At least 10 killed in overnight attack by Baloch rebels in Pakistan

At least six fighters and four security officials have been killed in an overnight attack in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province.

At least six fighters and four security officials have been killed in an overnight attack in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province.

Jan Achakzai, the provincial information minister, on Tuesday said the attackers, belonging to the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), targeted military and security installations with guns and rockets in the city of Mach, 65km (40 miles) south of Balochistan’s capital, Quetta.

As they faced resistance, the attackers moved to “less secure” areas, focusing their assault on the Mach police station, an official told Al Jazeera on condition of anonymity since he was not authorised to speak with the media.

In a statement shared with Al Jazeera, the BLA claimed the responsibility for the attack, saying its “freedom fighters” conducted the operation.

BLA is a banned armed group that is part of a broader rebellion in Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest and least populated province, which borders Iran and Afghanistan. The province is also the country’s poorest despite being rich in mineral resources and vast reserves of natural gas.