Pakistan Blocks Cellular Data Service For 3 Weeks In Blochistan Prevents Rebel Communication

Pakistan has suspended three weeks of mobile data services in the volatile southwestern province of Blochistan in an attempt to block communications among separatist rebels behind the recent spike in attacks.

Separatist militants demanding a larger share of profits from the mineral-rich provincial resources, stepped up attacks in recent months, particularly against Pakistan's military, which has launched intelligence-based attacks against them.

In an order seen by Reuters, the government said the service would be suspended until the end of the month due to the legal and public order situation in the province, the location of major Chinese Belt and Road projects.

"The service has been suspended because they (militan) use it for coordination and sharing information," said Shahid Rind, spokesman for the provincial government on Friday, August 8.

Officials say there are 8.5 million mobile phone subscribers in Blochistan, Pakistan's largest province, which borders Afghanistan and Iran.

However, the province has a small population of only 15 million from the national population of 240 million.

This news follows a ban on Pakistani land travel to Iran late last month, citing security threats.

The uprising by separatists, which accuses the Pakistani government of seizing their regional resources, has rocked the province for decades.

They primarily attacked the Pakistani military or Chinese nationals and their interests, but recently began targeting senior military officers.

The military said an officer and two soldiers were killed in a roadside explosion detonated by militants on Tuesday.

The attack targeting vehicles claimed by the Bloch Liberation Army (BLA), the region's strongest rebel group, which has also claimed responsibility for several attacks on senior officers in recent weeks.

The region is the location of the Gwadar Port, built by Beijing as part of Pakistan's $65 billion investment in the Belt and Road program designed to expand China's global reach.

Islamabad accused its arch-enemy, India, of funding and supporting the rebels in an attempt to trigger instability, while Pakistan is seeking international investment in the region, a charge New Delhi denies.

In March, BLA blew up railroad tracks and held more than 400 train passengers hostage in an attack that killed 31 people, including 23 soldiers.