“385 Baloch freedom fighters, including 12 Fidayeen, participated in Operation Dara-e-Bolan; 78 enemy personnel eliminated – BLA is ready to work with any nation against the common enemy for mutual benefit”, Baloch Liberation Army’s statement reads.
In a recent statement, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) reported the “successful” completion of Operation Dara-e-Bolan, a two-day-long military operation spanning from January 29, 2024, to January 31, 2024. The operation involved the participation of 385 BLA fighters from various units of the group, including 12 ‘Fidayeen’ (self-sacrificers) from the Majeed Brigade, members of the Fateh Squad, Special Tactical Operations Squad, and the intelligence wing.
BLA stated that the operation, which concluded at 7 pm on January 31, achieved all its targeted goals. The BLA forces secured control over a 70km radius area, including the town of Mach and the strategically important highway NH-65.
During Operation Dara-e-Bolan, BLA claimed to have eliminated 78 “enemy personnel”, with 45 neutralized within the first three hours of the operation. Notable incidents included the elimination of 10 Frontier Corps (FC) personnel in an attack on a military camp in Peer Ghaib, Bolan, and the killing of four Pakistani soldiers in an attack on a military convoy in Gokurt. Twelve Pakistani military personnel were reported killed when BLA fighters stormed the FC headquarters on January 30. Additionally, five SSG Commandos and two police personnel, including a Station House Officer (SHO), lost their lives during the operation.
BLA acknowledged the arrest of Levies and Police personnel during the operation, releasing them upon assurances of impartiality. However, BLA reported that the SHO of Mach police attempted to exploit this concession and was subsequently punished.
The statement further mentioned that 13 BLA fighters. This includes 12 fidayeen of BLA, whereas a member of Fateh Squad also made the ultimate sacrifice, it said. “All fidayeen had come to the battlefield to lay their lives for the motherland. These selfless warriors were successful in penetrating the FC headquarters and pinned down the enemy troops for two days. The details of these great sons of the motherland will be released to the media shortly. Despite BLA taking control of a vast area of Bolan for two days, the enemy forces managed to martyr only one fighter of BLA. This confirms the professional military skills and capabilities of the Baloch Liberation Army,” the statement reads.
The BLA underscored the support it received from organizations affiliated with Baloch Raji Aajoi Sangar during the operation, emphasizing the significance of coordination and unity in Baloch history.
Operation Dara-e-Bolan had two primary objectives, according to BLA. First, it aimed to demonstrate the capability of BLA to liberate a city in Balochistan from Pakistani “occupying” forces and maintain control for two days. BLA asserted that appeals, protests, and human rights pleas were insufficient to address the alleged atrocities committed by the Pakistani forces in Balochistan, emphasizing the need for the Baloch Liberation Army as the legitimate army of the Baloch nation.
As per the statement, the second objective of Operation Dara-e-Bolan was to relay BLA’s message to the nations of the world. “We want to inform the world that if BLA can execute an operation of this scale with its own resources then it can easily crush the occupying forces and force them to withdraw from Baloch motherland with support and help from other nations. Through this operation, we want to inform the institutions and nations that have mutual interests with the Baloch nation that we are ready to work together against the common enemy,” BLA statement reads.