Author: Bahot Baloch
On the night of January 29 at 9 pm, the city of Mach in the Bolan district of Balochistan echoed with a powerful explosion, the sound of which was heard several kilometers away in surrounding areas, including the entire city. The series of explosions and gunfire continued for the next two days.
Just half an hour later, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) spokesperson, Jeeyand Baloch, confirmed the attack, stating, “The operation Dara-e-Bolan by the BLA has begun.” Jeeyand Baloch cautioned the Baloch people to stay indoors and avoid traveling to cities, clearly mentioning that in this operation, the BLA Majeed Brigade, Special Tactical Operations Squad (STOS), Fateh Squad, and Intelligence Wing are participating.
This complex and intense attack marked a unique event in the history of the Balochistan’s freedom movement, with some analysts considering it a distinctive historical assault in Baloch history.
Where is Mach city located?
Mach City is situated 60 kilometers from Quetta, the capital of Balochistan. The city is known for its coal mines, providing a significant amount of coal to various regions of Pakistan, especially to factories in Punjab, generating an annual business of billions of rupees. In 1929, the British government established Mach Jail, also known as Kala Pani, which housed prominent politicians, intellectuals, and journalists of the time.
Additionally, with the presence of the central highway (NA-65) and railway tracks, Mach City’s significance is further highlighted by the daily movement of thousands of goods-carrying vehicles and trains.
In the current era, the city has high-security features, including Mach Jail, military headquarters, various military posts, and checkpoints along with railway tracks.
Operation Dara-e-Bolan:
The BLA conducted Operation Dara-e-Bolan, a complex and intense attack in the history of Balochistan, involving 385 freedom fighters. In this operation, BLA’s self-sacrificing unit Majeed Brigade had 12 members, and BLA’s Special Tactical Operations Squad and Fateh Squad were also took part in the operation.
The BLA’s attack began with a Majeed Brigade fidayee exploding a vehicle filled with explosives at the headquarters of Pakistani forces. Later, the organization identified its member involved in this attack as Farooq Syed, also known as Chakar. Following the explosions, BLA’s Majeed Brigade members initiated the assault, while other special units simultaneously attacked military checkpoints, police stations, and other installations.
The BLA fighters took control of the central highway, railway stations, and police stations while destroying railway tracks with explosive materials.
This was the first occasion where any Baloch pro-independence organization conducted an attack in a conventional military style. Mach City remained under the control of BLA for 46 hours within an 80-kilometer radius. Baloch fighters launched attacks using modern weapons, including rockets, and also used DShKs, locally known as Dashakka, heavy anti-aircraft machine guns to shoot down military helicopters.
The BLA confirmed the deaths of 13 of its members during this attack, including 12 members of BLA – Majeed Brigade and one from BLA’s Fateh Squad. The organization claimed responsibility for the deaths of 78 Pakistani troops, including regular army, paramilitary Frontier Corps, and commandos from the Special Services Group (SSG).
During the operation, on one hand, the BLA fighters kept control of the military headquarters; on the other hand, the military convoys arriving for the aid of the ones under attack were also targeted on the main highway outside the city. Also, the death squad (local militias under patronage of the Pakistan army) members also came under attack by BLA fighters.
Government’s Changing Stance:
During Operation Dara-e-Bolan, the Pakistani government’s stance underwent frequent changes. Balochistan’s Information Minister, Jan Achakzai, issued multiple statements during this period, making claims, but the public’s attention remained focused on BLA’s official media channels on Telegram and WhatsApp.
Balochistan’s Information Minister continued issuing statements for the next three days, retracting his initial statement half an hour after the attack, claiming, “We have received information about a few rocket firings in the mountainous areas.” Later, the Information Minister, retracting his first statement, claimed, “In Mach, security forces have successfully thwarted three coordinated attacks carried out by militants associated with the Aslam Acho group. Militants have retreated, and our security forces are currently pursuing them.”
Despite the Information Minister’s statements, videos received from the residents of Mach continued to portray the grave situation in the area. Meanwhile, on BLA’s media channel, audio messages from fighters and videos of BLA fighters circulating in the area were released, accompanied by announcements in mosques.
Conclusion:
The Baloch Liberation Army, along with other armed pro-independence organizations, has recently brought about changes in their approach, capturing Pakistani military camps, arresting serving military officers, and personnel from intelligence agencies. However, Operation Dara-e-Bolan, involving the participation of four BLA units simultaneously, taking control of the city, showcases the capabilities of this group’s fighters.
As BLA spokesperson Jeeyand Baloch stated in his statement, “Our primary goal was to show our Baloch nation that our national army, the BLA, has the ability to liberate a city from the grip of Pakistan and keep it under control for a continuous two days.”
This BLA attack signifies a shift in the direction of the Baloch freedom struggle, turning from mountains towards cities. The intensity of this attack and the two-day occupation of the city suggest that Balochistan’s freedom movement might witness increased vigor in urban areas in the times to come.
In the past, Baloch Liberation Army, among other armed groups has successfully captured Chinese Consulates, the High-Security Zone in Gwadar, or engaged in intelligence-based operations in Turbat city. However, Operation Dara-e-Bolan, involving the simultaneous operation of four units, demonstrates the capabilities of this group’s operatives and marks a different perspective from all the past attacks.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of The Balochistan Post or any of its editors.