The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) announced on Tuesday (local time) that it had executed seven Pakistani soldiers who were captured during ‘Operation Herof II’, news agency ANI reported.
The group said the execution of the military personnel took place after receiving approval from the High Command Council. The statement added that those executed belonged to regular units of the Pakistani armed forces and were convicted by what it described as the “Baloch National Court” for their alleged involvement in enforced disappearances, abuse of civilians and other war crimes.
The group added that it issued a seven-day ultimatum on February 14 and requested a prisoner exchange, which was later extended to 14 days for what it said were humanitarian reasons.
Pakistan’s military is “not serious” about negotiations.
The BLA further said in its statement that during the extended period, the Pakistani military authorities were “not serious” about releasing their personnel. It is alleged that the early talks of a possible exchange were a “deceptive tactic” meant to stall for a time while security forces continued operations in the area. Pakistani forces continued to deploy attack helicopters, drones and large numbers of troops during this period.
The humanitarian extension was misused, the rebel group says
The BLA said its High Command Council had concluded that the 14-day humanitarian extension had been misused to further escalate hostilities and target Baloch fighters. It also claimed that the Pakistani side’s continued approach showed that it “understands only the language of force and action”.
The BLA said that in accordance with what it described as the final decision of the “Baloch National Court”, the sentences of the seven detainees were carried out on Tuesday.
The group blamed Pakistan’s military leadership for the killings, saying it prioritized “ego, military adventurism and a culture of deception” over the lives of its own personnel, according to the report.
BLF claims responsibility for attacks on Pakistani forces
In a separate incident, the Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) claimed responsibility for two attacks targeting Pakistani security forces in the Turbat and Panjgur areas of Balochistan.
The BLF claimed responsibility for two attacks in Turbat and Panjgur areas of Balochistan, The Balochistan Post reported. In a statement issued, a BLF spokesperson said that on March 2, BLF rebels targeted a convoy of Pakistani forces containing two vehicles and a motorcycle in the Absar area of Turbat. According to the statement, the attack was carried out using an improvised explosive device when the convoy was passing through Kohda Yousaf locality.
