Quetta, Oct 27 (IANS) The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has said that more than 27 Pakistani military personnel were killed and several others injured in 15 operations carried out by the group in the province of Balochistan from October 20-26, local media reported on Tuesday.

The Balochistan Post quoted BLA spokesperson Jeeyand Baloch as saying that the outfit's intelligence wing Zirab had been monitoring the movement of Pakistan Coast Guard Lieutenant Colonel Bilal Jalib and the fighters targetted his vehicle with a remote-controlled IED on October 24, which seriously injured two Pakistani personnel. The military vehicle also suffered a major damage.

According to the spokesperson, BLA fighters carried out counter-attacks at several places as Pakistani forces advanced into the Gidar area on October 24. He said that five Pakistani personnel were killed and more than 11 others injured after clashes between the "occupying forces and Sarmachars lasted for over four hours."

He said that a military convoy was attacked using an IED, followed by an armed assault in Cher Kuncheti in Kech, which claimed the lives of four personnel and injured several others.

According to the statement, four Pakistani military personnel were killed, and at least six others were injured in an ambush near the grid station in Mastung's Gurgina on October 26.

Jeeyand Baloch said that BLA fighters targetted soldiers advancing into Dasht Baba on October 25, killing two personnel, adding that the soldiers withdrew and left the bodies of the deceased, according to the report.

According to the statement, the BLA targetted a convoy carrying supplies to a military camp in Mastung was targeted in Sargoz area while an armoured vehicle and another vehicle was targeted on October 20, causing casualties and material losses.

Baloch said that two personnel were killed and several others injured in an ambush on a convoy of military and commercial vehicles at Chotank in Kalat on October 22. The BLA claimed responsibility for an attack on troops advancing through the same area on October 24 and another attack on a convoy there on October 26, which claimed the life of one soldier.

According to the statement, two personnel travelling on foot were killed in an IED blast in Kalat on October 24. He said that three personnel were killed and four others were injured in an attack in Khuzdar on October 25, The Balochistan Post reported.

Jeeyand Baloch said that three personnel were killed and several others were injured after BLA fighters targetted the Hazhdah Khol military camp in Nushki on October 24. He claimed that forces' reinforcement advancing through Reko was ambushed and forced to return. Baloch said that a BLA sniper killed a soldier deployed at a military post in Nushki.

The group said that BLA fighters blew up the main gate of the joint Levies and Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) station in Khuzdar’s Karkh area and clashes erupted between Pakistani personnel and fighters. He said that a bridge on the Quetta–Karachi trade route was severely damaged after BLA fighters targeted it using heavy machinery and set it on fire.

--IANS

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