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Baloch insurgents kill 7 Pakistan troops

by Ayaz Gul

   ISLAMABAD --

   Pakistani authorities reported Saturday that seven soldiers and six
   insurgents were killed in fierce clashes in the troubled southwestern
   Balochistan.
   The predawn violence erupted when the insurgents assaulted a security
   post in Kalat, a mountainous district in the sparsely populated
   province, according to a late-night Pakistan military statement.
   It stated that the clashes also injured four assailants but shared no
   further details.
   Multiple area security officials reported that at least 18 soldiers
   were also injured and admitted to hospitals, where some were said to be
   in critical condition.
   An outlawed militant group known as the Baloch Liberation Army claimed
   responsibility for the deadly attack.
   In a statement, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the
   "terrorist" attack and "honored the martyred soldiers," his office said
   in Islamabad.
   Balochistan, the largest Pakistani province renowned for its abundant
   natural resources, has lately experienced a spike in deadly insurgent
   attacks.
   The BLA took credit for a suicide bombing last week that targeted a
   unit of Pakistani troops at the railway station in Quetta, the
   provincial capital.
   The powerful blast resulted in the deaths of 27 soldiers and injured
   many others as they were preparing to depart for a northwestern
   destination after completing a training session.
   BLA, listed as a global terrorist organization by the United States,
   also claimed responsibility for a suicide car bombing that killed two
   Chinese engineers in the southern Pakistani port city of Karachi last
   month.
   The insurgent group, along with several allies, has been waging deadly
   attacks on Pakistani security forces for years, saying they are
   fighting for the independence of the province, which shares the
   country's border with Afghanistan and Iran.
   Balochistan is home to the China-built and operated strategic Gwadar
   port on the Arabian Sea, which is at the heart of the
   multibillion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
   Both countries hail CPEC as a pivotal component of Beijing's global
   Belt and Road Initiative. The bilateral project has brought more than
   $25 billion in Chinese investments over the past decade, building
   Pakistani roads, power plants, and trade routes to enable China's
   access to international markets for its landlocked western regions
   through the Gwadar port.
   Islamabad and Beijing condemn Baloch insurgents, saying their violent
   campaign is aimed at disrupting development in impoverished Balochistan
   and Pakistan at large.