QUETTA: Security forces carried out drone strikes on hideouts of the Indian proxies-Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA)- in the Zehri of Khuzdar of Balochistan, killing at least four militants, officials said on Tuesday.
Unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs) conducted a strike after receiving an intelligence report of militants’ presence in the area, the security forces’ sources say. The strike carried out in Bulbul-Zehri, four militants of the Fitna al Hindustan and Fitna al Khawarij were killed, and four others were wounded. Those killed were identified as Asif from Pir Shahar, Zia from Mishk, Shahid from Samwani and Ali Ahmed from Chashma. An injured militant was named as Hasnain, son of Ibrahim.
The TTP, referred to as Fitna al-Khawarij, and the BLA, referred to as Fitna al-Hindustan, maintain close coordination and support each other in targeting security forces and development projects in Balochistan.
In July last, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) report states that Indian proxy groups—the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), including its Majeed Brigade, and Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)—maintain close coordination. The report highlights the growing sophistication of BLA attacks, citing the dramatic hijacking of the Jaffar Express in Balochistan, Pakistan.
These terrorist groups—TTP, referred to as Fitna al-Khawarij, and BLA, known as Fitna al-Hindustan—are actively operating in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, respectively. Exposing the nexuses of both groups, the report says that, in January 2025, TTP held terrorist trainings in Balochistan.
Earlier this month, a former CIA counterintelligence operative claimed that the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) is now working directly with Al-Qaeda, raising alarms about regional militancy.
Speaking to The Wire Pakistan, the ex-CIA officer said the BLA, long viewed as an Indian proxy, has integrated operationally with Al-Qaeda networks. She alleged the group is receiving training abroad following U.S. sanctions.
She also warned that the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has expanded significantly in Afghanistan under Taliban protection. According to her, the Taliban have permitted the TTP to run more than 40 training camps, providing weapons, funding, and safe haven. The group now fields an estimated 15,000 fighters, including foreign militants from Yemen and Central Asia, making it “a legion, not a local insurgency.”
“The TTP is not what people think,” she said. “It is bigger, international, and officially part of Al-Qaeda’s structure.” She added that TTP deputy military chief Muzaffar Muzahim has joined Al-Qaeda’s senior shura.
