Did Baloch Rebels Really Kill Over 80 Pakistani Security Officials in Coordinated Attacks?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Quetta, Feb 1 (NationPress) The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has taken responsibility for a series of well-coordinated assaults across the Balochistan province, claiming that more than 80 individuals lost their lives, including members from the Pakistani military, police, intelligence agencies, and counter-terrorism units.
The militant organization referred to this offensive as 'Operation Herof Phase II'.
A statement from BLA spokesperson Jeeyand Baloch indicated that these coordinated strikes lasted for nearly ten hours and occurred across various districts of Balochistan.
According to the group, the operation aimed at what they described as critical security, military, and administrative facilities.
The BLA asserted that its fighters targeted locations in Quetta, Noshki, Mastung, Dalbandin, Kalat, and several other towns, which are considered vital military and administrative hubs of the Pakistani state, as reported by The Balochistan Post.
In their statement, the BLA claimed that during this operation, at least 84 members of Pakistan’s security forces were killed, with many others sustaining injuries. They further claimed that 18 security personnel were captured during the attacks.
The organization also stated that over 30 government properties were either seized or destroyed, including government offices, banks, and prisons. Additionally, they asserted that more than 20 vehicles were set ablaze as part of the coordinated operation.
The BLA further alleged that their fighters managed to temporarily disrupt the movement of Pakistani security forces in several areas, claiming control over specific zones for limited periods during the operation.
In a separate report from The Balochistan Post, it was mentioned that Pakistani security forces conducted an operation in the coastal city of Gwadar in Balochistan.
This operation reportedly targeted a residential compound where workers were residing, and the victims were said to be from two families in Tehsil Zehri.
The report indicated that 12 individuals were killed in the Gwadar incident, including women and children, while around 10 others were injured.
Additionally, there were reports from Turbat stating that Pakistani forces fired mortar shells into civilian areas of Phulabad within the Turbat district, resulting in the death of a 15-year-old boy. A five-year-old child and two women were reported to have sustained serious injuries from the attack.
Following the shelling in Phulabad, Pakistani forces allegedly began demolishing houses in the region, escalating tensions amid ongoing violence in the area.