A “pro-independence” Baloch armed group the Baloch Nationalist Army (BNA) released a statement on Tuesday, confirming the death of its three members including a camp commander in a clash with Pakistan Army. “Three Sarmachaars, including the Camp Commander, Naseeb Ullah Bangulzai were martyred after 15 [Pakistani] troops were killed in a long skirmish in Nagao,” the statement reads.
The BNA spokesperson Mureed Baloch said in the statement that “the operations launched against the organization after the Lahore blast, will never stop the operations of the organization for the national defense against Pakistan”.
It is to mention that BNA is an alliance of two armed groups, the Baloch Republican Army and the United Baloch Army, which was formed in January this year. The group carried out its first big attack outside of Balochistan in January. It was an IED blast which killed three and injured at least twenty six people in Pakistan’s Lahore city.
Mureed Baloch said that on March 25, ten army helicopters, along with a large number of infantry forces and state death squads, attacked a base camp of the organization [BNA] in the Bolan and Nagao mountain ranges of Kalat. The Sarmachaars [fighters] guarding the camp fiercely attacked the forces to prevent the enemy’s advancement towards the camp. As a result, all Sarmachaars in the camp managed to escape safely, while Naseeb ullah Bangulzai and two other Sarmachaars embraced martyrdom while fighting the enemy on the frontline. More than 15 personnel of the occupying forces were killed in the hours-long skirmish, including SSG Commandos, personnel of the Frontier Corps, and members of the State death squad, the spokesperson stated.
The spokesman said: that “after the long skirmish, forces had to rely on helicopters for air support as several infantry personnel were killed and retreated in the clash. Two rockets were fired at state helicopters, partially damaging one helicopter. In the heavy shelling of helicopters, all three Sarmachaars were martyred defending the homeland.”
BNA in the statement providing the details of its fallen members said: Martyr Naseeb ullah Bangulzai was Nagao camp commander of the organization, who was the son of Sarfraz Bangulzai, the organization’s General commander, whose younger brother Faisal Bangulzai was martyred along with six of his fellow Sarmachaars in Nagao in 2016. Shaheed Naseeb ullah Bangulzai joined the national struggle in 2009 with his father at a very young age. He was a courageous and patriotic son. He was an expert military trainer He took part in many important battles against the enemy in Quetta, Mastung, Bolan, and Kalat. Due to his bravery, he was appointed as commander of Nagao camp in Kalat in 2020. He fulfilled this responsibility very bravely till his martyrdom.
Waris Murad alias Sheikh son of Murad Bakhsh resident of Klanch area of Pasni, was a young Balochi poet who was associated with the organization for the last two years. He was a young revolutionary poet and a true son of the Homeland, Balochistan. Till his martyrdom, he played an active role as a poet and a soldier defending the homeland. He Remained loyal to the homeland Balochistan till his last breath.
Sangat Adde Klui Rind alias Dadu son of Fateh Khan resident of Dhadar Sibi joined the National Armed Resistance in 2009. He participated in several important successful battles against the enemy in Quetta, Dhadar, Bolan, Mastung, and Kalat. He was a true son of the homeland who made the mountains his home till martyrdom.
“We are announcing the Honorary title of “Zahm Jan” to all the martyrs of Nagao. This title was earlier given to Martyr Manzoor, Faisal Jan, and other martyrs who were martyred in Nagao in 2016. We want to make it clear to the occupying state that the ongoing crackdown against our organization will never stop or weaken our operations inside Pakistan. We will continue our operations with more intensity against Pakistan till the complete withdrawal of occupying forces from Balochistan,” the statement reads.
The group on its media channel has also released the photos of Pakistan Army personnel killed in the attack, as well as its three members who died in the clash.
Whereas, the Pakistan military’s media affairs wing theInter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said on Saturday that security forces had launched an operation to apprehend “terrorists” in Nagao Mountains after receiving information about their presence in the area.
ISPR said that six Baloch Nationalist Army members were killed in the exchange of fire, adding they were involved in recent “security incidents” in Sibbi and linked to the blast in Lahore’s Anarkali area on January 20. The ISPR confirmed the death of an army personnel and injury of two others.