As many as 47 security personnel were killed and more than 30 others were injured in the Baloch Liberation Army’s (BLA) “Fidayee unit” Majeed Brigade’s suicide attack
47 Personnel Killed, 30 Injured in Attack on Pak Army Convoy in Turbat
As many as 47 security personnel were killed and more than 30 others were injured in the Baloch Liberation Army’s (BLA) “Fidayee unit” Majeed Brigade’s suicide attack on a Pakistani army convoy near Balochistan’s Turbat on Saturday, The Balochistan Post reported.
In a statement, BLA spokesperson Jeeyand Baloch said that the attack took place in the Behman area, which is located some eight kilometres from Turbat city, at around 5:45 pm (local time). He said the target was a convoy of 13 vehicles, including five buses and seven military vehicles, heading from Karachi to the Frontier Corps (FC) headquarters in Turbat.
The group said that the Pakistan army convoy included personnel from MI 309, FC SIU, FC 117 Wing, FC 326 Wing, FC 81 Wing, and retired army Captain Zohaib Mohsin, who now serves as a police official, The Balochistan Post reported.
The BLA claimed that one bus was “completely destroyed,” others were partially disabled and one military vehicle was demolished in the blast, which it said was coordinated with help from its intelligence wing, “ZIRAB.”
The statement said, “ZIRAB had provided authentic information that an enemy convoy was leaving Karachi for Turbat and included important troops of the occupying army.” The BLA said that the attack’s success showcases the “excellent performance” of its intelligence and the “unparalleled sacrifice of the Fidayee Sangat.”
The statement said, “The success of this mission reflects the excellent performance of our intelligence and the unparalleled sacrifice of the Fidayee Sangat. This attack is a clear message that the land of Balochistan will never be safe for the occupying state.”
The attacker has been identified as “Fidayee Sangat Bahar Ali” from Qohda Murad Muhammad Bazar in Turbat’s Dasht Hochat area. According to BLA, he joined the Baloch national movement in 2017 and served on both urban and mountain fronts. He also volunteered for the Majeed Brigade’s “Fidayee” mission in 2022, The Balochistan Post reported.
The BLA has accused Pakistani forces of “torturing innocent Baloch people, opening fire, and forcibly disappearing many individuals.” It asked transport owners not to facilitate what it terms the “occupying army” and threatened to burn vehicles involved in resource extraction.
About Balochistan
•Balochistan is one of the four provinces of Pakistan.
•It is least populated even though it is the largest province in terms of land size.
•It is populated in ethnic Baloch people which can be found in modern day Iran and Afghanistan though the majority of Baloch can be found in Balochistan.
•Balochistan is rich in natural gas and oil and is one of the most important regions of Pakistan.
•During the withdrawal of the British from the Indian subcontinent, the Kingdom of Balochistan was offered the same offer, either to join India, join Pakistan or remain independent.
•The king of Balochistan chose to remain independent and it did remain independent for nearly a year.
•In the year 1948, the Pakistan government, with a combination of military and diplomacy, took control of the region and made it into a part of Pakistan.
•India has long maintained a political stance of not interfering in the internal matters of Pakistan or any other country.
•Despite Pakistan repeatedly bringing up the Kashmir issue over the years, India had maintained silence on Balochistan.
•India’s response was quick with India’s Prime Minister referring to atrocities of Baloch people in his Independence speech in 2016.
