Quetta: In a major security breach in Balochistan’s Surab town, armed militants attacked key government installations, resulting in the death of Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue), Hidayat Baledi. According to officials, more than 60 heavily armed militants stormed the town on Friday evening, taking control of several major areas for over two hours.
Government spokesperson Shahid Rind confirmed that ADC Revenue Hidayat Baledi was killed while resisting the attackers. In an official statement, Rind said the militants looted a local bank in the Surab bazaar and set fire to multiple government buildings, including the residences of administrative officers.
"This attack on state institutions, including a bank and the homes of government officials, is a heinous attempt to challenge the writ of the state," said Rind. He added that a search operation was ongoing in the area as security forces pursue the militants.
The banned militant group, Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), has claimed responsibility for the assault. According to a senior administrative officer in Kalat Division, the militants infiltrated Surab from multiple directions and seized control of strategic locations such as the Deputy Commissioner’s Office, Additional DC’s residence, the police station, and the Levies Force headquarters.
Before retreating, the attackers set fire to the aforementioned government properties. Footage circulating on social media shows smoke rising from the Surab police station, underscoring the intensity of the attack.
Surab is located approximately 250 kilometers southwest of Balochistan’s provincial capital, Quetta, near the Quetta-Karachi highway. The district's population predominantly comprises various Baloch tribes and is part of the Kalat Division, which also includes Khuzdar, Kalat, Awaran, Lasbela, Hub, and Mastung districts.
While Surab has witnessed relatively fewer violent incidents compared to other districts in the region, Friday's attack is one of the largest of its kind in any major population center of Kalat Division in recent years.
Previously, similar coordinated attacks had been carried out in the towns of Zehri and Ornach in Khuzdar district. Since 2024, armed groups have also intermittently set up roadblocks on national highways across Balochistan, resulting in numerous casualties.
Despite recent security reinforcements, this latest incident raises fresh concerns about the region’s volatile security situation and the resurgence of organized militant activity.
