DIDPress: In an op-ed published in Dawn newspaper, analyst Mohammad Amir Rana writes that the gradual and calculated entry of the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISIS-K) into the conflict in Balochistan has further complicated the province’s already fragile security situation.
ISIS-K has not only declared war against the Pakistani state but has also officially turned its focus on Baloch insurgents, branding nationalist movements as “un-Islamic.”
In a newly released booklet, ISIS-K explicitly targets groups such as the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) led by Mahrang Baloch, and the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) led by Manzoor Pashteen.
In an audio statement, ISIS-K accused Baloch insurgents of killing its fighters in Mastung and formally declared war against groups such as the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA).
This marks the first direct confrontation between ISIS and nationalist factions in Balochistan. According to Rana, this development could significantly reshape the dynamics of conflict in the province.