In one of the largest attacks to date, several coordinated attacks shook Pakistan’s province of Balochistan late Tuesday night, when Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) initiated its new attack titled “Operation Baam” (Dawn).
The raids were aimed at military checkpoints, government buildings, communications infrastructure, and administration offices in multiple districts, such as Panjgur, Surab, Kech, and Kharan. Pakistani officials are yet to give official confirmation of the extent of the operation, but local sources quoted by ANI described extensive damage to security and civilian infrastructure.
Explosions were seen in civilian areas, with Pakistani daily Dawn reporting injuries to several civilians, Hajra, Mahlab, Fatima, Naz Gul, and Muhammad Ibrahim, who were taken to the District Hospital Turbat on emergency.
BLF Announces a New Chapter in the Baloch Struggle
Taking responsibility for the attacks, BLF’s spokesperson Major Gwahram Baloch stated that the operation is a new chapter in the era of resistance for the Baloch liberation movement.
“The resistance has moved into a formidable new phase. Operation Baam is intended to showcase that Baloch fighters can conduct large-scale, coordinated operations over extensive geography,” he stated in a press release quoted by ANI.
The BLF asserts that the attacks were strategically planned to cause both human and material damage to Pakistani security forces, from the Makran coastal area to the hilly Koh-e-Suleman mountains.
BLF has vowed to publish comprehensive outcomes of Operation Baam after the offensive is over.
Baloch Unrest and Ancient Grievances
The Balochistan Liberation Front, which is regarded as one of the most dynamic separatist movements in the province, has long blamed the Pakistani state for exploiting Balochistan’s natural resources but denying Baloch people political independence, development, and human rights.
Tuesday night’s attacks reinforce the ongoing instability in Balochistan, in which groups of insurgents persistently challenge the state via guerrilla warfare and sabotage.
While the government weighs the damage and considers a potential reaction, the initiation of Operation Baam might represent a major escalation in the conflict between Baloch separatists and Pakistani forces.
