Quetta [Pakistan], February 21 : The Baloch Liberation Army has stated that it carried out coordinated attacks on multiple military checkpoints and personnel stationed in the Shaban region of Pakistan's biggest province - Balochistan.
According to their spokesperson, Azad Baloch, BLA fighters set up blockades and launched simultaneous assaults on two military checkpoints, which were reportedly manned by Frontier Corps (FC) personnel. The operation, which also targeted a convoy of FC and police reinforcements arriving from Quetta, led to fierce clashes that lasted over two hours.
While taking responsibility for the attack on its official media channel, Baloch Liberation Voice, BLA claims to have seized weapons from the neutralised Pakistani personnel. In total, five soldiers were killed and ten others were wounded.
The BLA spokesperson emphasised that this attack was part of their ongoing resistance against what they describe as the occupation of Balochistan by Pakistani forces.
The BLA's attack on Pakistani forces follows a long history of insurgency in Balochistan, where separatist movements have been fighting for greater autonomy and recognition of the rights of the Baloch people.
The insurgency has escalated in recent years, with attacks targeting military and paramilitary forces, as well as government infrastructure. These groups claim that the Baloch people are being marginalised and exploited by the central government, with a focus on the region's rich natural resources.
Pakistan's military, on the other hand, has consistently called these groups militants and has launched counter-insurgency operations to quell the rebellion. However, human rights groups have raised concerns over reports of forced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and the alleged use of excessive force in these operations.
Reports have surfaced highlighting the troubling issue of forced disappearances, where individuals, particularly activists and civilians, are allegedly detained without due process. Additionally, the excessive use of force during military operations has been raised.
These practices, according to human rights groups, contribute to widespread fear and instability, further exacerbating tensions between the Pakistani government and the Baloch population.
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