Baloch Liberation Army Claims 20 Pakistani Soldiers Killed and Four of Its Members Dead in Kalat Clashes
The Azad Baloch faction of the BLA reported that 20 Pakistani soldiers were killed in an armed clash in Kalat.
Quetta: According to Raaz News | The Azad Baloch faction of the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed that 20 Pakistani soldiers were killed and four of its members died during an armed clash with Pakistani forces in the Kalat area of Balochistan province on October 30.
In a statement, Azad Baloch, the spokesperson for the Baloch separatist group, said BLA fighters had been patrolling the RCD Highway area to protect the Baloch people when they clashed with Pakistani forces in the NA-25 constituency of Kalat and its surrounding areas.
According to the statement, Pakistani forces deployed border security personnel in three vehicles to the area in an attempt to dismantle a checkpoint and clear a roadblock established by the group’s members. The move triggered a fierce clash after the BLA fighters responded. The fighting began at 1:30 p.m. and left 20 Pakistani soldiers dead, while two border security vehicles sustained heavy damage. The group also cited local residents as saying the vehicles were later transported to a military garrison by crane.
The statement identified the four members killed as Zainatullah, also known as Baba Baloch, from Manguchar in Kalat; Suleiman, also known as Rafiq Baloch, from Nushki; Sher Ahmed, also known as Malik Baloch, from Kadkocha in Mastung; and Noman, also known as Shahak Baloch, from Manguchar in Kalat.
The Baloch Liberation Army claimed responsibility for the clash and the attacks against Pakistani forces, alleging that the Pakistani Army conceals its casualty figures from the media and the public.
The group reiterated its demand for Pakistani forces to withdraw from Balochistan and threatened to launch more intense attacks if their presence, interference with the group’s checkpoints and what it described as harassment of the Baloch people continued.
At the end of the statement, Azad Baloch praised the four members killed and claimed that the Baloch Liberation Army, in cooperation with the Baloch people, would intensify its armed operations against Pakistani forces.