United Baloch Army Claims Responsibility For Bridge Blast In Pakistan's Balochistan

Quetta, August 11: The United Baloch Army (UBA) took responsibility for the explosion of a bridge in Kachhi district of Pakistan's Balochistan province, local media reported. According to a statement from UBA spokesperson Mazar Baloch, the group targeted a bridge at Sabri on Sanni Road near Dhadar in Kachhi district using explosives on Saturday evening, rendering it unusable.

The spokesperson stated that the attack severely disrupted the "enemy's logistics and movement" in the area. The bridge, crucial for transporting military supplies and operational purposes, was now completely destroyed, according to the statement. UBA plans to continue "until the establishment of an independent Balochistan." Balochistan, celebrating its 79th Independence Day on Tuesday, is observing annual tradition that Baloch human rights groups call an "illegal occupation" by Pakistan.

The province's human rights commission noted concerns about escalating erosion of human rights and civic space, with locals expressing worries about structural exclusion, gendered vulnerability, repression of youth voices, and weakening public institutions. The province's rich natural resources, including gas, gold, copper, oil, precious stones, and chromite, have been exploited by Islamabad, while the region remains the least developed and poorest in Pakistan with a high poverty rate of 47%.