Description: Militants from the Balochistan Liberation Army attacked a mine in southwestern Balochistan, killing ten people, wounding eight more and abducting a Turkish citizen. The militants attacked the mine pertaining to Pakistan’s National Resources Ltd which owns the mining rights in the Darigwan site in southwest Balochistan. Baloch separatists have increased attacks by the end of last year killing more than 190 civilians in the span of six months. The BLA is the largest militant separatist group in the region fighting a decades long insurgency against Pakistan over Balochistan’s independence which according to the BLA has been largely exploited to the detriment of its indigenous people.
Impact: Pakistan’s domestic security crisis is likely to intensify as domestic militant and separatist groups resort towards targeting Pakistan’s critical economic streamlines, such as the mining industry, in times of global crisis. The BLA’s decades long insurgency is likely to continue unabated, especially after Pakistan’s engagement in the cross-border war with Afghanistan. Internal instability could likely compromise the country’s standing on the international stage as Pakistan’s top government echelon is trying to navigate a fragile ceasefire between the US and Iran. Further attacks would stretch the already fragile security apparatus and likely overburden the struggling economy dissuading any potential foreign investors and potentially weaken China’s grip on the foreign investment front.