A file photo of Frontier Corps personnel. PHOTO: ONLINE/ FILE
Two suspected members of the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) were killed and as many injured in a targeted operation by the paramilitary Frontier Corps in Mastung district of Balochistan.
Acting on a tip-off, paramilitary troops raided Killi Pirkani area on Friday, FC sources said, adding that suspected BLA militants holed up in the area opened fire on the troops. In the retaliatory fire, two BLA insurgents – including their commander Rasheed Shahwani – were killed.
Two BLA members were also arrested during the raid. The firefight lasted for more than two hours.
The dead BLA members were nominated in several murder cases, including the killing of Mastung Cadet College principal, according to a press release issued by the FC. A huge cache of arms and ammunition was also recovered from the hideout.
The Baloch National Front has announced a three-day shutter-down strike to protest the operation. Other nationalist parties of the province said the raid was in violation of the Constitution.
Separately, the FC arrested 10 suspects in a search operation in the Sariab Road neighbourhood of Quetta. Paramilitary troops also recovered explosives during a separate search operation in Pashtoonabad, a settlement of illegal Afghan refugees in Quetta.
In ongoing violence, a lecturer of the Kharan Degree College and his son were gunned down in Kharan district. Gunmen entered a school and shot dead Ikram Mengal and his son.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 19th, 2013.
COMMENTS (10)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
1732243059-0/mac-miller-(2)1732243059-0-165x106.webp "article")
1672385156-0/Andrew-Tate-(1)1672385156-0-165x106.webp "article")
Long Live Hazara. Long Live Baloch Struggle. Long Live Humanity.
LeJ proudly claims Hazara Shia genocide and our forces conduct operations against BLA. It doesn't make sense...
We demanded targeted operation against religious outfits like Lej and their sister organizations. FC must hunt down Lej operatives rather than causing troubles for our Baloch brothers who have not been involved in any kind of sectarian massacre of Hazaras/ Shias.
@American Desi: Yes. Both are killing citizens of Balochistan and Pakistan, both are killing innocent people. Both are sponcered by outsiders. Both harbor each other.
Good job FC
Good job done FC. With the removal of criminals government, things are looking to improve.
Did BLA had anything with Shia genocide?! Instead of going after the anti-Shia groups like LeJ, state machinery targets people struggling against subjugation! Shame on the Porkis.
If Baloch leaders are serious in fight of freedom then first of all they must shunt out the criminals from there organisation.These elements will play havoc with the movement and Baloch people whether pre or post independence.But still amazed to see that the first victim of Governer rule is from BLA not LEJ,smells something.
This BLA cancer needs to be weeded out as soon as possible. It was a crime of the provincial government to let it foster for so long, and it would have continued until Balochis would have been killed by the BLA and the Sardars and Waderas one by one.