Pakistan Forces Kill 12 After Reko Diq Convoy Ambush In Balochistan

Pakistani security forces killed 12 terrorists after an armed group ambushed a convoy returning from the Reko Diq copper and gold mining project in Balochistan, officials said on Tuesday. The attack highlights persistent security risks surrounding one of Pakistan’s most strategically important mining projects despite enhanced protection.

The ambush took place on Monday when a convoy of around three dozen empty vehicles was returning to Quetta after dropping workers at the Reko Diq project site in Chagai district. Officials said the attackers opened heavy fire on the convoy, prompting security personnel travelling with it to take positions and retaliate.

A Balochistan government spokesperson said the forces’ timely response led to a heavy exchange of gunfire in which 12 attackers were killed. A senior police official said the firefight lasted around two hours and left two security personnel injured. Arms and ammunition were also recovered from the slain militants.

Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti confirmed the deaths and said intelligence-based targeted operations against militants were continuing “successfully and consistently” across the province. There was no immediate information on whether the convoy was carrying minerals from the mine when it was attacked.

The Reko Diq project, located in Chagai near Pakistan’s borders with Afghanistan and Iran, is being developed as a major copper and gold mine. It is operated by Canada based Barrick Mining in partnership with the Pakistani and Balochistan governments and is considered crucial to Pakistan’s efforts to attract foreign investment and increase mineral exports.

The attack also underscores the broader security challenge in Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest and resource rich province, which has faced a decades long insurgency. The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and other militant groups have targeted security forces, government installations and infrastructure projects, including projects associated with the China Pakistan Economic Corridor.

Baloch separatists accuse Islamabad of politically marginalising the province and exploiting its natural resources. The Reko Diq project has previously raised security concerns because of its location in the insurgency affected region, although Pakistani authorities have maintained that enhanced measures are in place to protect the project and its workers.