THE security landscape in Balochistan has grown increasingly complex, with a surge in terrorist attacks carried out by Baloch insurgents and the silent but calculated entry of the Islamic State Khorasan Province (IS-K) into the conflict.

In an unexpected move, IS-K has declared war not only on the Pakistani state but also on the insurgents themselves, denouncing their nationalist agendas as unIslamic.

Recently, IS-K released a booklet denouncing ethno-linguistic nationalist movements in Pakistan, explicitly targeting the Baloch and Pakhtun nationalist movements. The group singled out the BYC and its leader Mahrang Baloch, as well as the PTM and its leader, Manzoor Pashteen.

The release of this threatening booklet was alarming in itself. However, the following day, IS-K escalated matters by issuing an audio statement formally declaring war on Baloch insurgents, justifying the move by accusing the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) of killing its fighters in the Mastung district of Balochistan.

Although IS-K has had a presence in Baloch­istan since the early days of its parent group, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, and was one of the first global affiliates to pledge allegiance to its leadership, it had never directly confronted natio­nalist forces, until now. What does IS-K’s entry into this already volatile theatre mean? And can it reshape the dynamics of conflict in Balochistan?

Can the militant group’s entry reshape the dynamics of conflict in the province?

IS-K has been involved in 33 terrorist attacks in Balochistan since 2016, resulting in the deaths of 436 people and injuries to 691 others. Shrines and churches have remained among its primary targets. IS-K has attacked shrines and churches eight times, while among human targets, political figures, especially politicians affiliated with the JUI, are........

© Dawn