(Updated)
Quetta: About 20 hours after launching a massive military operation, Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) said it was in “control” of Mach city and adjoining areas of Bolan district in Pakistan-occupied Balochistan after killing at least 55 Pakistani soldiers.
“As part of operation Dara-e-Bolan, the Baloch freedom fighters have a strong control over Mach city and adjoining highways since last 20 hours,” BLA spokesman Jeeyand Baloch said in a statement.
He said BLA fighters have established strong positions across Mach city.
The enemy forces are indiscriminately firing mortar rounds towards civilian areas and these are causing civilian casualties, the spokesman said in an update of the operation.
“However, the Baloch freedom fighters continue to hold strong positions and are ready to valiantly face the enemy forces,” Jeeyand Baloch said.
Earlier in the day, he said the freedom fighters of the outfit were controlling all entry and exit routes of Mach and have planted landmines on all routes, depriving any reinforcement for the Pakistani forces.
The main camp of the Pakistani forces in Mach has been surrounded by the fighters of BLA’s Majeed Brigade (which specialises in suicidal operations) and “they have built strong positions after infiltrating the enemy base from several locations”, the spokesman said.
BLA launched the Operation at around 9 PM (Pakistan time) yesterday, with the freedom fighters targeting the Army Base Camp, the main police station, the headquarters of paramilitary Frontier Corps and the Railway Station and some other key locations of Mach city in a coordinated manner.
So far, at least 45 enemy personnel have been killed in Mach, and 10 were killed in Peer Ghaib attack, the BLA spokesman said.
During the operation, 4 Baloch freedom fighters have made the ultimate sacrifices, he said, adding all the 4 are ‘fidayeen’ (suicide attackers) of BLA Majeed Brigade, and their details will be released later.
“BLA’s Special Tactical Operations Squad has taken control of all entry and exit routes in the area. The STOS has installed explosive mines on these routes, depriving the enemy forces any reinforcement,” the spokesman said this afternoon.
“The Fateh Squad of BLA has taken control of Police Station, Railway Station and several other areas of Mach city, closely monitoring any enemy movement,” he said.
“A whole unit of BLA Majeed Brigade has surrounded the main camp of enemy forces, they have built strong positions after infiltrating into the enemy base from several locations,” the spokesman said, adding “The Fidayeen of Majeed Brigade will fight till their last bullet.”
Explaining the motive behind the attack, the spokesman said it was to send out a “message to the Baloch nation” and “to reveal the true cowardly nature of the enemy (Pakistani) forces”.
“The coward enemy inflicts brutalities on innocent civilians by abducting and killing them in custody. However, when the real Baloch freedom fighters challenge them on the ground, the enemy forces hide like rats in their holes,” Jeeyand Baloch said.
He said the Baloch youth, instead of suffering on daily basis at the hands of the coward enemy forces, should join the ranks of Baloch freedom fighters so the enemy is forced to flee from Baloch motherland in months rather than in years.
“We openly challenge Pakistani military, the killer of innocents, to come and face Baloch freedom fighters who are freely roaming the streets of Mach city in the daylight,” the spokesman said.
“Instead of fake propaganda behind covers, come and let’s settle this face to face. Bring your own media with you so that the public can see your bravery beyond ISPR songs and fake stories of Pakistan Studies books,” he dared.
