Raids in Balochistan: 92 terrorists killed since Dec

Balochistan home minister says 1,844 suspects also apprehended in four months

QUETTA: Since last December, paramilitary Frontier Corps (FC) Balochistan and law enforcement agencies (LEAs) have carried out 417 intelligence-based operations (IBOs) in Balochistan, killing 92 terrorists including most wanted criminals.

This was revealed on Friday during a news conference jointly addressed by Balochistan Home Minister Sarfraz Bugti, the FC’s DIG Brigadier Tahir Mehmood and provincial government’s spokesman Anwarul Haq Kakar.

“Since last December, the FC along with intelligence agencies have launched offensives against militant groups and carried out more than 417 targeted operations across the province. During these raids 92 terrorists, including some high-profile fugitives, have been killed,” Bugti said.

“Aslam alias Acho, the second in command of BLA [Balochistan Liberation Army] and Dr Manan, who was leading BLF [Baloch Liberation Front] were among those slain. Both the men were involved in killings of settlers and other atrocities,” he added. “During these operations, 1,844 suspected persons have also been apprehended,” he added.



He said a huge quantity of arms and explosives were also seized from terrorists’ compounds that were being used for terror activities in the province. During the operations, 820 different weapons, 56,986 ammunitions and 10,727kg of explosive material have been confiscated.

“In the last four months, the FC troops have arrested 6,151 foreigners who were travelling without legal documents in Balochistan and handed them over to the Federal Investigation Authority (FIA) for further investigation,” the home minister added.

Bugti also talked with reference to the Indian spy Kulbhushan Yadav, who was arrested by security forces apparently from Balochistan’s Chaman district last week.

“Since day one, we had been saying that RAW [Research and Analysis Wing] was fuelling unrest in Balochistan. This view was vindicated after arrest of a serving RAW official from Balochistan,” he said.

Bugti said the credit for arresting RAW spy went to the intelligence agencies that are ‘sincerely ‘striving to restore peace in Balochistan.

To a query on Iran’s alleged role in harbouring Indian spies, Kakar said it should be cleared that an Indian agent was arrested from Pakistan and not an Iranian officer. “Iran is a responsible country and our brotherly neighbour,” he added.

“If the Indian government has manipulated Iran and used its soil against Pakistan, we are optimistic that being a friendly neighbour [Iran] will address the issue with Indian counterparts,” he added. Later, the FC also displayed the explosive material, arms and ammunitions for media in the FC headquarters.

Meanwhile, two fervent members of Lashkar-e-Balochistan (LeB) were killed during a shoot-out with the FC in Saruna area of Kalat on Friday.

According to an FC spokesman, the paramilitary force launched a search operation against armed groups in Kalat. “During this raid, an exchange of fire took place in which two LeB operatives were killed,” he said.

He said both of them were involved in carrying out attacks against security forces and destroying government installations, “During the operation one SMG gun and three magazines and rounds were also seized from a compound,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 2^nd, 2016.