Its a bad start of the year for Pakistani forces as TTP group claims 65 attacks in a week against Pakistani forces whilst Baloch groups take over a town and 9 Pakistani soldiers lose their lives.

Balochistan, Pakistan’s southwestern province, continues to witness intense security challenges and militant activities.

On January 17, an early morning attack targeted a Frontier Corps (FC) convoy in the Gomazi area of Tump tehsil, Kech District. The assault occurred around 4:00 AM as the convoy traveled its designated route. Attackers, positioned at close range, unleashed intense gunfire on six FC vehicles, killing at least nine Pakistani soldiers instantly. No group claimed responsibility for the incident.

This attack reflects the persistent militant threat in the region, where security convoys remain vulnerable to ambushes.

Two days earlier, on January 15, the Baloch Liberation Front (BLF) claimed responsibility for a large-scale operation in Kharan town, Kharan District. Later in a statement BLF asserted that its fighters (referred to as Sarmachars) overran the Kharan town Police Station, seized government weapons, and inflicted heavy casualties on military personnel — claiming over 50 killed and several injured, including officers identified as Colonel Wadhan and Major Asim.

The BLF further alleged attacks on multiple military convoys, the destruction of armored vehicles, targeting of banks, and the downing of quad-copters. The group acknowledged losses among its own cadres, stating that subsequent aerial strikes by security forces killed four of its members.

Au contraire, Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) described the incident as an attempted hostage situation thwarted by security forces, who killed 12 terrorists. Official accounts reported that around 15–20 militants attacked the police station and two banks (National Bank of Pakistan and Habib Bank Limited), looting approximately 3.4 million PKR (around $12,000), before being engaged in gun battles.

The starkly differing narratives is a proof of the information warfare surrounding such operations in Balochistan.

Parallel to the militant activities, reports emerged of several enforced disappearances, a persistent issue in the province.

On January 17, security forces and intelligence agencies conducted search operations in Kharan city and surrounding villages, following recent clashes that reportedly caused heavy casualties among security personnel. During these operations, three youths — Makhfar Abid Siyapad, Muneeb Siyapad, and Ahmed Siyapad — were ostensibly, forcibly disappeared.

In a separate incident on the same day, a Baloch youth named Naik Saal Baloch was reportedly taken into custody from the Beidee area of Awaran District. His whereabouts remain unknown, and no official statement has been issued by authorities.

These cases add to long-standing allegations of enforced disappearances used as a counter-insurgency tactic, often intensifying after militant attacks.

Meanwhile, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed 65 attacks against Pakistani forces between January 12 and 18, 2026. Most operations were concentrated in North and South Waziristan and Bajaur, though one notable ambush in Gomal on January 12 killed six policemen. TTP had released the video of the brutal attack.

For the year of 2025, TTP had claimed 3573 attacks against Pakistani forces.

The convergence of Baloch separatist actions and TTP militancy highlights the multifaceted security crisis in Pakistan’s border regions.

These developments in mid-January 2026 is a reflection of volatile situation in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where militant claims, official denials, and human rights concerns continue to fuel tension and instability in the provinces. Independent verification of many incidents remains challenging due to restricted access and conflicting reports from involved parties.