Afghanistan and the BLA’s Evolving Capabilities — The Diplomat

On October 1, Pakistan’s military said that representatives of several militant groups had met in Kandahar in August to discuss coordinating manpower and operations against Pakistani security forces. Military spokesperson Lt. Gen. Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry said the meeting was chaired by Mullah Shirleen, the Taliban-appointed governor of Kandahar, and involved representatives of the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) seeking additional fighters from networks associated with Hafiz Gul Bahadur, a Pakistani militant leader based in North Waziristan. A separate intelligence report identified figures linked to al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) among those present. For the BLA, the significance of the meeting lies less in the presence of other militant groups than in what access to Afghanistan could provide the organization: additional manpower, relationships with established militant networks, and a deeper operating environment beyond Balochistan. The reported discussions therefore point to a possible expansion of the BLA’s external support networks at a time when the group has been developing more sophisticated operational capabilities. Afghan officials denied that the meeting took place, and the allegations have not been independently established. Pakistan has long accused the Taliban government of sheltering militants, and relations between the two countries are openly hostile. Fighting in October 2025 killed dozens and nearly closed the border; cross-border strikes resumed in February 2026 and continued intermittently through September. Each side’s…