New Delhi: The Balochistan Liberation Army, also known as the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), has been in the news for about a year due to its audacious attacks deep inside Pakistan which are being termed as terrorist attacks by Islamabad. However, the BLA and a big chunk of the Baloch people says that they are freedom fighters.
On Tuesday, March 11, BLA carried out an extraordinary operation in which it hijacked a train, Jaffar Express, with more than 400 passengers on board. Jaffar Express was on its way to Rawalpindi from Quetta when the incident happened.
The BLA has claimed that the train is under their control and they are holding about 100 hostages.
Three people, including the train driver, had been injured in the attack. Pakistan security forces have been rushed to secure the hostages as the BLA has threatened to kill the hostage if a military operation is carried out against them. The group also said that the responsibility for bloodshed will solely be on the Pakistani Army.
BLA said in a statement, “The Baloch Liberation Army has carried out a meticulously planned operation in Mashkaf, Dhadar, Bolan, where our freedom fighters have blown up the railway track, forcing the Jaffar Express to come to a halt. The fighters swiftly took control of the train, holding all passengers hostage.”
“This operation is being conducted jointly by the Majeed Brigade, STOS, and Fateh Squad —specialised units of the BLA. Any military incursion will be met with an equally forceful response.”
What is BLA?
The Balochistan Liberation Army is a Baloch ethnonationalist militant organization based in the Balochistan region. It frequently targets Pakistan Armed Forces, civilians and foreign nationals.
BLA’s first recorded activity was in mid-2000, when it claimed credit for a series of bombings against Pakistani authorities. It is speculated that it was established in 2000 and is based in the Baluchistan region of Afghanistan.
It is said to be fighting for an independent Balochistan. According to reports, the BLA has many bases scattered across southern Afghanistan.
The BLA gained prominence in 2004 when it launched a violent struggle against Pakistan for self-determination for the Baloch people and the separation of Balochistan from Pakistan. The Pakistan government banned the Balochistan Liberation Army and designated it as a terrorist organization on April 7, 2006.
BLA is listed as a terrorist organization by China, Iran, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union.
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