Different Baloch armed groups have claimed responsibility for attacks carried out on 14 August, targeting Pakistan’s Independence Day celebrations in Balochistan.
According to details received by TBP, Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF), United Baloch Army (UBA), Baloch Republican Army (BRA) and Lashkar-e-Balochistan (LeB) have claimed responsibilities for multiple attacks in different parts of Balochistan.
BLA:
Baloch Liberation Army’s spokesperson, Jeeyand Baloch, claimed responsibility for two attacks, one targeting a stall in Hub Choki area of Balochistan, which was set for 14 August celebrations and the second was an IED blast in a rally in Mastung.
BLF:
Balochistan Liberation Front has also claimed responsibility for different attacks on 14 August events. Goharam Baloch, spokesperson of BLF, said that Jaki check post of Pakistani forces was attacked with RPG’s and automatic weaponry, which resulted in killing 6 forces personnel and injuring 4 more.
Goharam Baloch also claimed another attack on a checkpoint in which he claims three forces personnel were killed and two were injured.
UBA:
United Baloch Army has claimed two different attcks in Kech district of Balochistan on August 14. Mureed Baloch, the spokesman for UBA said that their fighters have attacked an army camp in Kolwah Belor and a picket in Shahu Batil with heavy weaponry, which killed 3 forces personnel and injured 2 more.
UBA spokesperson vows to continue such attacks until the independence of Balochistan.
BRA:
Baloch Republican Army has taken the responsibility of hand grenade attack on Police van in Kharan city of Balochistan. BRA spokesperson, Sarbaz Baloch said that Police has not been on our target in the past but recently they have been involved in actions against pro-independence activists which will not be tolerated.
Sarbaz has warned Police forces to avoid creating troubles for innocent people otherwise they will face intense attacks.
LeB:
Another Baloch militant group, Lashker-e-Balchistan has also claimed the responsibility of attacks in Khuzdar and Panjgur districts of Balochistan on Pakistan’s national day.
Lawang Baloch, the spokesman for LeB has taken the responsibility of an attack on Pakistani security forces on Zeedi road in Khuzdar district. In which he claimed that forces personnel have received several casualties.
“A picket of Pakistani forces situated in a school in Parom area of Panjgur district was also attacked with Rocket launchers and other weaponry”, Lawang Baloch said.
Baloch militant groups have been attacking Pakistani forces and installations in Balochistan for almost two decades but on such occasions like August 14, Pakistan’s national day, a high surge and series of attacks have been witnessed every year.
According to Baloch nationalists and freedom fighters, Pakistan has occupied their land in 1948 and since then it’s the fifth insurgency in Balochistan for independence, which started in early 2000.
Due to the war situation in Balochistan, a high rate of damages have been occurred. According to many national and international rights organisations, in counter insurgency actions by the state of Pakistan, numerous military operations and human rights violations have been also witnessed in the region. Thousands of activists have been killed or forcefully disappeared which Rights organisations and locals hold Pakistani forces and intelligence agencies responsible for.