The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has announced the successful completion of its “Fidayeen Operation Herof,” claiming to have killed 130 Pakistani military personnel during a series of coordinated attacks across Balochistan.
The operation, which began on August 25th, reportedly involved an assault on the Pakistani military’s Bela camp, as well as blockades on key highways across the region.
In a statement released to the media, BLA spokesperson Jeeyand Baloch claimed that the group’s elite “Fidayeen unit,” the Majeed Brigade, had “maintained control over the Bela camp for 20 hours,” during which “68 military personnel were killed and dozens more injured.”
In a prior statement, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) reported that four of its “Fidayeen” (self-sacrificers), including a female fighter named Mahal Baloch, also known as Zilan Kurd, from Sur Bandar, Gwadar, and Rizwan Baloch, also known as Hammal, from Panwan, Gwadar, were killed during the operation.
Jeeyand Baloch added that two additional fighters were killed in subsequent combat inside the camp, with their identities to be released later.
The BLA had also released photos of the two “Fidayeen,” stating, “Fidayee Mahal Baloch and Fidayee Rizwan Baloch detonated their VBIEDs at the gates of the Pakistani military camp in Bela, commencing the Majeed Brigade’s Operation Herof.”
This development is significant as Mahal Baloch, reportedly named after “Zilan Kurd”—a Kurdish woman who carried out a suicide attack against Turkish soldiers in 1996—becomes the third female “Fidayee” of the BLA to carry out such an attack. Previously, Shari Baloch targeted Chinese nationals in Karachi in April 2022, and Sumaiya Qalanadani struck a military vehicle in Kech in June 2023.
The BLA also reported that its Fateh Squad and Special Tactical Operations Squad (STOS) had set up blockades on major highways across Balochistan, leading to the deaths of 62 military personnel. “After achieving the objectives of Operation Herof, the roadblocks on all highways were lifted,” the statement read.
In total, the BLA claims that 130 military personnel were killed during “Operation Herof.” The group stated that a more detailed report would be released soon.
Meanwhile, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistani military, acknowledged the attacks, stating that security forces and law enforcement agencies have responded, “killing 21 insurgents.” The ISPR also reported that “14 security personnel, including 10 military and 4 law enforcement officers, were killed during the counter-operations.”