Farhan Zahid
A deadly March 2025 clash in Mastung District in Balochistan ended the uneasy coexistence between the secular Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) and Islamic State–Khorasan Province (IS–KP). The rivalry creates an opportunity for the Pakistani government to exploit as the two groups dedicate resources to fighting each other, though civilians are expected to be caught in the crossfire as the situation escalates.
Despite the declaration of war, the BLA has focused on state targets and avoided direct confrontation with IS–KP. This may signal a preference for compromise and desire for renewed peace between the two groups. IS–KP, however, has threatened to carry out suicide bombings against Baloch nationalist political gatherings.
The turbulent south-western Pakistani province of Balochistan is witnessing the beginnings of an armed conflict between Islamic State–Khorasan Province (IS–KP) and the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA). The current situation stemmed from deadly clashes between militants from each side that resulted in heavier losses for IS–KP (South Asia Terrorism Portal, May 30). The BLA is a secular ethnonationalist-separatist terrorist group, and IS–KP is the local branch of Islamic State (IS). In the Mastung (Balochi/Urdu: مستونگ) District of Balochistan Province, the two groups are engaged in a turf war.
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Clash in Mastung: A Turning Point
The clash that escalated hostilities between these two groups started in March in Mastung. Mastung District is known as a hub for both militant groups, and each boasts a significant presence in its rural areas. On May 25, IS–KP released a 36-minute propaganda video through its Al-Azaim Media Foundation (Arabic: مؤسـسة العزائم الاعلامية) claiming that the BLA launched an assault on an IS–KP training camp (for more on Al-Azaim Media Foundation’s releases, see Terrorism Monitor, May 6, 2022). The video, which was titled “The Incident in Mastung and the Conspiracy of the Infidels,” (Urdu: مستونگ کاسانحہ اور کفار کادسیسہ) detailed how BLA militants surrounded the IS–KP camp, rounding up IS–KP fighters and killing 30, including several foreign nationals (Khorasan Diary, June 23).
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