BLA announces second phase of Operation Herof amid attacks across Balochistan

Armed clashes and explosions were reported across several districts of Balochistan after the Baloch Liberation Army announced a new phase of Operation Herof. The group claimed coordinated attacks on Pakistani security forces, while residents reported heightened tension, especially in Quetta.

Quetta: As Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) announced the start of the second phase of ‘Operation Herof’ across Balochistan on Saturday, armed clashes, explosions and attacks targetting Pakistani military installations emerged from multiple districts of the province, local media reported.

Calling it a “declaration of decisive resistance”, BLA spokesperson Jeeyand Baloch, in a brief statement, said the new phase is directed against “the occupying state and all its military and administrative structures.”

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He said that by standing alongside Baloch fighters, the people of Balochistan would “defeat the enemy in every city, street and neighbourhood,” stressing that the operation seeks to demonstrate that “there is no place for the occupier in Balochistan.”

Citing residents and local sources, the Balochistan Post reported that the security situation remained highly tense across several regions in the province, including Quetta, Nushki, Kalat, Mastung, Dalbandin, Kharan, Gwadar, Pasni, Tump, Buleda and Dhadar, amid reports of heavy gunfire, explosions and attacks on Pakistani police and military sites.

Meanwhile, residents in provincial capital Quetta reported gunfire and explosions in multiple areas, including the highly sensitive Red Zone.

Reports suggest that armed men attacked a Pakistani police mobile van on Sariab Road in Quetta, killing two personnel and setting the vehicle on fire, with gunfire reported from the direction of the railway station.

In a new statement sent to media outlets, the BLA said during the second phase of ‘Operation Herof’ it has launched “simultaneous, coordinated attacks” in 10 cities in the province, including Quetta, Nushki, Mastung, Dalbandin, Kalat, Kharan, Gwadar, Pasni, Tump and Buleda.

According to the BLA spokesperson Jeeyand Baloch, the group had attacked “military and administrative structures,” disrupted the movement of “enemy forces”, and “pushed back” Pakistani troops in multiple areas.

The statement added that “Fidayeen attacks” targeted Pakistani army and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) camps in Quetta, Pasni, Gwadar, Noshki and Dalbandin, asserting that the group’s Majeed Brigade had “successfully entered army camps and captured large sections of them,” with “fierce fighting” continuing.

The BLA claimed that “dozens” of Pakistani military personnel had been “neutralised” so far, adding that further details would be shared with the media soon.

In a separate message released through the BLA’s media wing, the group’s commander-in-chief, Bashir Zeb Baloch, called on the people of Balochistan to “come out of their homes and fight against Pakistani forces.”

“This struggle does not belong to any single individual but to collective consciousness. When a nation stands united, the enemy cannot avoid defeat despite its power. The Baloch nation is urged to step out and become part of Operation Herof,” The Balochistan post quoted Bashir as saying.

People from Balochistan are currently fighting for their independence from Pakistan.

Various human rights organisations of Balochistan have time and again highlighted the repression by Pakistani forces in the province, which includes violent raids on the homes of Baloch leaders and civilians, unlawful arrests, enforced disappearances, the ‘kill and dump’ policy, detention under the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance, and the filing of fabricated police cases.