“The number of militants was 30 to 40. They stopped 22 vehicles,” senior local official Najibullah Kakar told AFP.
“Vehicles travelling to and from Punjab were checked and individuals from Punjab were identified and shot dead.”
The BLA said it targeted soldiers traveling in civilian clothes, Reuters reported.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed “deep sorrow and condemnation of the terrorist attack” in a statement released through his office.
Balochistan is the largest province in Pakistan, but is the least developed compared to other provinces, despite having more resources.
The BLA and other Baloch separatists have intensified attacks on Punjabi and Sindhi working in other parts of Pakistan. They have also targeted foreign energy companies, whom they accuse of exploiting the region without sharing in the profits.
A similar incident occurred in April this year, when nine passengers were shot dead on a bus in Balochistan after getting off and having their IDs checked.
In the past 24 hours, the BLA has carried out a series of attacks targeting several government facilities, including police stations and security force camps across the province.
Several Western countries, including the UK and the US, have designated the BLA as a global terrorist organization.
