Baloch dealing body blows to Pakistan Army; over 100 soldiers reported killed in 3 days

Pakistan is suffering significant casualties in operations carried out by the Balochistan Liberation Army. In the latest among a series of setbacks in the last few days, the Balochistan Liberation Army reportedly gunned down a Pakistani Army drone, which was flying over Panjgur. Besides, operations against Pakistani armed forces are underway in four different areas, including Chaman and Naushki. 

The clashes between the Balochs and Pakistan Army, which broke out just hours before Prime Minister Imran Khan left for China on February 3 to attend the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics opening ceremony, have now entered the third day.

Three days ago, the Balochistan Liberation Army stormed two camps of the Pakistan Army in the resource-rich provinces of Naushki and Panjgur, where China is investing heavily. The BLA has also claimed that over 100 Pakistani soldiers have been killed in the attacks. Pakistan Army, however, has accepted that 10 of its soldiers had lost their lives. 

BLA said that they used suicide bombers to enter these two bases. Failing to address the grievances and demands of the Baloch activists, the Pakistan Army has accused India and Afghanistan of their involvement in the recent attacks. The Pakistan Army also said that they have managed to kill 13 militants. 

While the Pakistan Army has stated that the operations are over, the BLA claimed that it has successfully completed its mission at Naushki, and gunfighting is underway at Panjgur. 

The Baloch have been demanding an end to the exploitation of its vast mineral wealth. They have also claimed that the security forces in Pakistan forced them to take up arms as they have constantly been subjected to human rights abuses. 

For a long time, the Baloch people have opposed the Chinese investment linked to its Belt and Road Initiative in their region. 

As per reports, the Pakistan Army has not even carried out the dead bodies of their fellow soldiers. 

"I don't see no 'great' army here. They are not even coming to pick up the dead. You fire a shot in the air; they run like robbers to hide -- thirty of them at a time," an injured BLA activist posted on Twitter. 

"Baloch Liberation Army, in a new statement to the Pakistan media, said that their operation in Noshki has been completed with 9 Baloch rebels dead while the operation in Panjgur continues. BLA claims over 100 Pakistani soldiers have been killed in two operations in Balochistan," a Baloch official said. 

Media coverage blocked 

Several Pakistani journalists objected to the Imran Khan government and Army's move to not allow the media to report the incidents that have claimed the lives of over 100 soldiers. 

"BLA, the outlawed separatist group, has issued over a dozen statements in the past two days after its militants attacked FC camps in Noshki and Panjgur, claiming to have killed over 100 soldiers. Reporters must be allowed to report facts from the ground & counter disinformation," Pakistani journalist Roohan Ahmed said. 

"There is one reason Pakistan continues to get Balochistan wrong again and again: Denying that the resistance is home-grown, triggered by genuine grievances of local people. Externalising the blame on any other country will not fix the problem," Harvard Club of DC Board Director Malik Siraj Akbar said.

'The immediate thing that needs to happen in Balochistan is to stop provocative official statements. Locals fear and foresee a massive crackdown on civilians after the Panjgur and Nushuki attacks. These events shouldn't be used to justify more violence against Baloch civilians," Akbar added. 

"Balochistan has struggled for decades with its Frontier Corps problem. In a functioning democracy, the solution would be to hold it accountable to the provincial assembly. Currently, on the contrary, most MPAs strive for its blessings, validation & affirmation for their survival," Akbar further said, rejecting any foreign hands in the twin attacks. 

Solutions before Pakistan

Pakistan's public policy expert Rafiullah Kakar suggested properly diagnosing the Baloch conflict before discussing any potential solutions. He put forth some suggestions to deal with the current crisis in Pakistan's Balochistan region. These include:

* Recognising that Baloch insurgency is mainly home-grown and that political failures cause genuine local grievance.

* Appreciate that kinetic measures alone cannot eliminate insurgency. A low-scale conflict could continue almost indefinitely

* Develop a comprehensive strategy for political reconciliation. Broad contours should include engaging with credible political representatives and doing away with artificial leaders propped up by Islamabad as they are part of the problem and beneficiaries of conflict.

* Appointment of Shahzeb Bugti to lead reconciliation efforts was a non-starter and a joke. Cease all military operations while an empowered committee of political representatives conduct negotiations. Repression and reconciliation cannot go well hand in hand.

* Offer and enforce confidence-building measures, including cessation of hostilities, release missing persons who are alive and compensate families of those killed.

* Be prepared for offering substantial concessions to the Baloch. Confidence building measures alone or mere offers of amnesty would not address long-standing structural divers of Baloch conflict. Therefore, options of re-design of the federal model and genuine control over Baloch national resources should be on the table.

Image: File photo of a suspected suicide attack in Pakistan's southwestern Quetta city. Photograph: Mazhar Chandio/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

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