In a new 36-minute video titled “The Mastung Incident and the Conspiracy of the Infidels,” ISKP’s media wing, Al-Azaim Foundation, confirmed for the first time a deadly clash with Baloch militants in Mastung district, located in Pakistan’s Balochistan province. The group declared that members of the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) will now be among its revenge targets. The clash occurred in mid-March, during which nearly 30 ISKP members from various countries were killed. This marks the first occasion where ISKP has both acknowledged the battle and directly threatened Baloch militants with retaliation.
In the video, ISKP declares, “Our war is against all polytheists, infidels, apostates, and their proxy groups,” accusing Baloch militants of attacking one of its military bases “to please America.” According to details in the video, ISKP fighters engaged in a three-day battle with Baloch militants and were ultimately killed after running out of ammunition. The identities and roles of the ISKP fighters killed were not disclosed. The group labeled the Baloch insurgents as “traitors and proxies,” warning the public not to attend BLA gatherings, as they will now be considered legitimate targets.
ISKP Hideouts in Mastung
In September 2024, Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson for the Taliban regime, confirmed for the first time the presence of ISKP elements in Mastung, Balochistan. He stated that ISIS members were crossing from their bases in Mastung into Afghanistan to launch attacks. A statement issued on September 30 reported that a Tajik national affiliated with ISIS was arrested by Taliban special forces; he had entered Afghanistan from Mastung to carry out a suicide attack. Mujahid added, “The remaining leaders and members of ISKP have relocated to Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with help from certain intelligence agencies and have established training camps there.”
Following that, Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban’s foreign minister, and other Taliban officials repeatedly referred to Mastung as ISKP’s operational base, claiming that the group no longer holds any bases inside Afghanistan.
Mastung is a strategic and volatile district in Balochistan, located 55 kilometers southeast of Quetta and along the Quetta–Karachi highway. With a population of around 250,000, it is home to Baloch, Brahui, and a minority of Pashtuns. Baloch insurgents maintain military camps in the district’s mountainous terrain. Due to its position along the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and proximity to Afghanistan’s border, Mastung holds significant geopolitical value.
Al-Azaim’s new propaganda video serves as the first visual confirmation of ISKP’s presence in Mastung. However, it remains unclear how many ISKP members are currently operating in this mountainous region. The group also referenced its deadly attacks over the past four years in Russia, Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan, threatening that such operations will continue. Several of these attacks targeted Taliban leaders, killing at least nine high-ranking officials in provinces like Kabul, Balkh, and Badakhshan.
The video refers to Zalmay Khalilzad, former U.S. envoy for Afghan peace and a key architect of the Doha Agreement, as the “spiritual father of the Taliban.” It portrays the Taliban as “a proxy force of the U.S. and Pakistan” and vows to continue the war against the Taliban and their allies.
Zalmay Khalilzad shared part of the ISKP video on X (formerly Twitter), noting that the footage confirms ISKP's active military bases in Mastung. “In the video, ISKP issues threats to the Baloch Liberation Army and other Baloch groups, declaring them future targets. The group makes it clear that the previous non-aggression pact with these groups is now void, placing ISKP and Pakistani security forces on the same front against Baloch nationalists,” he wrote.
Although there is no public confirmation of a formal non-aggression pact between ISKP and Baloch militants, some Pakistani media outlets with close ties to the military reported that ISKP was allowed to operate in Mastung under a tacit understanding with Baloch insurgents. The two sides are now reportedly clashing over conflicting interests.
0 Comments