Web Desk: A reported internal power struggle within a banned terrorist organisation BLA has escalated into violence in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province, leaving one senior member dead and a university official briefly abducted, according to security and local sources.
Sources said tensions intensified between rival factions of the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) when disagreements over leadership influence and control led to an armed confrontation between two splinter groups.
In the latest incident, Hayat Khan, identified by sources as a senior figure linked to one faction, was killed during an internal clash with members associated with a rival grouping, allegedly led by a commander known as Bashir Zeb.
Security analysts say the group has faced repeated internal divisions in recent years, driven by leadership disputes and competing local allegiances.
Meanwhile, local sources reported that armed men abducted the Vice Chancellor of the University of Gwadar earlier in the day before later releasing him. Officials have not publicly confirmed the circumstances surrounding the incident.
According to accounts from within the region, the abduction appeared linked to a separate personal and tribal dispute involving individuals associated with different factions of the group, rather than a coordinated strategic operation.
Authorities have not issued an official statement on the reported kidnapping.
Furthermore, local narratives suggest that the incident may have been influenced by longstanding tribal and family rivalries that intersect with militant affiliations in the region, complicating the security landscape further.
However, these claims could not be independently verified.
As a result of the latest violence, security observers warn that internal fragmentation within armed groups operating in Balochistan may contribute to further instability.
Nevertheless, officials have not confirmed any broader escalation, and investigations into both the killing and the abduction remain ongoing.
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