Key figures
Who is fighting
Pakistan
- Pakistan Army (Southern Command)
- Frontier Corps Balochistan
- Balochistan Police and Counter-Terrorism Department
- Pakistan Coast Guards
- China (security cooperation for CPEC)
Baloch separatist groups
- Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) incl. Majeed Brigade and Fateh Squad
- Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF)
- Baloch Raaji Aajoi Sangar (BRAS) coalition
- Baloch Republican Guards
- India (alleged by Pakistan; denied by India)
- Afghan Taliban (alleged safe havens; denied by Kabul)
Islamic State (Khorasan and Pakistan provinces)
- ISKP
- ISPP
- None
Force sizes are estimates of personnel or fighters, usually from IISS, government statements or specialist reporting; irregular forces are especially hard to count. "(reported)" marks external support that the backer disputes or has not confirmed.
Background
Baloch nationalists have revolted five times since Balochistan's accession to Pakistan in 1948. The current phase began in the early 2000s and intensified after the army killed tribal leader Nawab Akbar Bugti in 2006. Grievances centre on political exclusion, enforced disappearances, and the extraction of gas, minerals and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) port at Gwadar with little local benefit.
The BLA, especially its Majeed Brigade suicide unit, transformed the insurgency after 2018 with attacks on Chinese targets, the August 2024 coordinated assaults, and the March 2025 hijacking of the Jaffar Express. Separatist groups coordinate through the Baloch Raaji Aajoi Sangar (BRAS) alliance with the Balochistan Liberation Front, while Islamic State's Khorasan and Pakistan branches have also expanded into the province and clash with the BLA.
On 30 January 2026 the BLA and BLF launched simultaneous assaults across at least nine districts including Quetta, Gwadar, Mastung and Nushki, briefly holding parts of Nushki; the government said 216 militants, 22 security personnel and 36 civilians were killed (the BLA admitted 92–93 fighters lost). A vehicle bomb on a shuttle train in Quetta on 24 May killed 47. On 4–8 July militants killed 38 security personnel, executing 18 abducted police officers near the Mangi Dam; the army's Operation Shaban claimed 139 militants killed by 22 July. Pakistan accuses India of backing the insurgents (denied) and the Afghan Taliban of hosting BLA camps, which it bombed in Helmand on 1 October 2026. The Balochistan Liberation Army was designated a foreign terrorist organization by the United States in August 2025.
Recent developments
- 13 October 2026BLA claims 16 attacks on Pakistani forces across Balochistan over six days; casualty claims not independently verified. source ↗
- 2 October 2026CRSS reports 829 deaths in Balochistan in Q3 2026, about 59% of Pakistan's total and triple the previous quarter. source ↗
- 2 October 2026PICSS: Balochistan accounted for 131 of September's 225 militant attacks (58%); 35 security operations in the province killed 171 militants. source ↗
- 25 September 2026Pakistan says it killed 13 Afghan Taliban fighters in a border clash at Gulistan, Balochistan; Kabul denies losses. source ↗
- 22 July 2026Operation Shaban: the army reports 139 militants killed since 8 July; PICSS puts July's provincial death toll at 372 (62 security personnel, 54 civilians, 238 militants). source ↗
- 8 July 2026Highway ambush in Lasbela kills 11 soldiers and 14 militants, two days after 9 police were killed and 18 abducted and executed at the Mangi Dam checkpoint in Ziarat. source ↗
- 24 May 2026BLA claims the Quetta shuttle-train bombing (47 killed, including about 20 soldiers). source ↗
Timeline
- 1 July 1948First Baloch revolt after the Khan of Kalat's accession to Pakistan; further uprisings in 1958–60, 1963–69 and 1973–77.
- 26 August 2006Nawab Akbar Bugti killed in a military operation; the fifth insurgency intensifies.
- 11 August 2018BLA's Majeed Brigade begins suicide attacks on Chinese targets (Dalbandin bus attack); Chinese consulate in Karachi attacked in November 2018.
- 26 August 2024Coordinated BLA attacks across Balochistan kill more than 70 people including over 20 Punjabi travellers.
- 11 March 2025BLA hijacks the Jaffar Express near Sibi with hundreds of passengers; dozens killed.
- 11 August 2025United States designates the BLA and Majeed Brigade as a foreign terrorist organization.
- 30 January 2026BLA/BLF launch 'Operation Herof 2.0' across at least nine districts; government says 216 militants, 22 security personnel and 36 civilians killed by 5 February.
- 24 May 2026Vehicle-borne suicide bombing of a security-personnel shuttle train in Quetta kills 47 and injures 98.
- 4 July 2026Four days of attacks kill 38 security personnel and 4 civilians, including 18 abducted police executed near the Mangi Dam; Operation Shaban launched.
- 1 October 2026Pakistan bombs alleged BLA and TTP camps in Helmand and Kunar, Afghanistan.
Casualties and displacement in detail
| Measure | Low | High | What the figure covers · source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total killed (cumulative) | 10,767 | 10,767 | Sum of SATP counts cited by Wikipedia for the Pakistani side of the conflict: 3,325 security forces (2000–2026), 2,834 militants (2000–2026) and 4,608 civilians (2000–2019). Different end-dates and incomplete coverage mean this is an undercount of the 2003–present phase. en.wikipedia.org ↗ |
| Combatants killed | 3,325 | 3,325 | Pakistani security personnel killed 2000–2026 (SATP via Wikipedia). CRSS counted 240 security personnel killed nationwide in Q3 2026, most in Balochistan and KP. en.wikipedia.org ↗ |
| Civilians killed | 4,608 | 4,608 | Civilians killed 2000–2019 (SATP via Wikipedia); excludes 2020–2026. PICSS counted 54 civilians killed in the province in July 2026 alone. en.wikipedia.org ↗ |
| Wounded | – | – | No cumulative figure; CRSS counted 163 injured in Balochistan in Q3 2026. crss.pk ↗ |
| Deaths in the last 12 months | 1,537 | 1,537 | Balochistan deaths Jan–Sep 2026 per CRSS quarterly reports (443 + 265 + 829), covering civilians, security forces and militants; the Oct–Dec 2025 quarter is not included, so the true 12-month figure is higher. CRSS counted 896 deaths in the province in Jan–Nov 2025. crss.pk ↗ |
| Internally displaced | – | – | No current figure; about 140,000 were displaced in 2004–2005. en.wikipedia.org ↗ |
| Refugees abroad | – | – | Not applicable. |
Intensity classification: CRSS: 1,537 violence-linked deaths in Balochistan in Jan–Sep 2026 (Q1 443, Q2 265, Q3 829 — the provincial toll tripled in Q3), versus 896 in Jan–Nov 2025. PICSS counted 372 deaths in the province in July 2026 alone. Figures include militants killed in operations..
Countries affected
Frequently asked questions
Who is fighting in the Balochistan insurgency (Baloch separatists vs Pakistan)?
Pakistan (Pakistan Army (Southern Command), Frontier Corps Balochistan, Balochistan Police and Counter-Terrorism Department, Pakistan Coast Guards), supported by China (security cooperation for CPEC); against Baloch separatist groups (Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) incl. Majeed Brigade and Fateh Squad, Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF), Baloch Raaji Aajoi Sangar (BRAS) coalition, Baloch Republican Guards), supported by India (alleged by Pakistan; denied by India), Afghan Taliban (alleged safe havens; denied by Kabul); against Islamic State (Khorasan and Pakistan provinces) (ISKP, ISPP), supported by None.
How many people have been killed?
Estimates range from 10,767 killed as of 30 September 2026. Sum of SATP counts cited by Wikipedia for the Pakistani side of the conflict: 3,325 security forces (2000–2026), 2,834 militants (2000–2026) and 4,608 civilians (2000–2019). Different end-dates and incomplete coverage mean this is an undercount of the 2003–present phase. Civilian deaths are put at 4,608. Figures come from the sources listed on this page and differ in method; see the caveats above.
Is the Balochistan insurgency (Baloch separatists vs Pakistan) still ongoing in 2026?
Status as of 19 October 2026: Active fighting — Baloch separatist groups led by the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) are fighting for independence from Pakistan, targeting security forces, Punjabi workers, Chinese-linked projects and infrastructure in the resource-rich south-western province. 2026 has been the deadliest year of the insurgency's current phase: a coordinated nine-district offensive in January–February ('Operation Herof 2.0'), the Quetta train bombing in May (47 killed), the July attacks that killed 38 security personnel, and the army's Operation Shaban. In October 2026 the BLA claimed 16 attacks in six days while Pakistan struck alleged BLA camps inside Afghanistan.
When did it start?
The current phase began on 1 January 2003, but the underlying conflict dates back to 1948 — 23 years, 9 months ago.
Sources
- CRSS Security Report Q3 2026 crss.pk
- PICSS Monthly Insight — September 2026 picss.net
- Wikipedia — January–February 2026 Balochistan attacks en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia — July 2026 Balochistan attacks en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia — 2026 Quetta train bombing en.wikipedia.org
- Al Jazeera — coordinated attacks in Balochistan (31 Jan 2026) aljazeera.com
- Wikipedia — Insurgency in Balochistan en.wikipedia.org
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