Quetta, Aug 21 : The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has claimed that its fighters took "complete control" of Saranan town in Balochistan's Pishin district during an operation in which a police station was blown up.
Quetta, Aug 21 (IANS) The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has claimed that its fighters took "complete control" of Saranan town in Balochistan's Pishin district during an operation in which a police station was blown up.
According to a media report, government offices were also set ablaze, and several police personnel were briefly detained.
Citing sources, The Balochistan Post reported that during the attack on Thursday, the BLA fighters seized arms and ammunition from the police station before destroying the building with explosives. They also set fire to several government offices, including the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) office.
In a statement issued after the operation, BLA spokesperson Jeeyand Baloch said, "Today, sarmachars (freedom fighters) of the Baloch Liberation Army gained complete control over Saranan town in Pishin, taking custody of the police station, NADRA office, and other government buildings. During the operation, several police personnel were taken into custody and were subsequently released. After seizing a large quantity of arms and ammunition from the police station, the building was destroyed in an explosion. The Baloch Liberation Army claims responsibility for this operation."
Meanwhile, leading Baloch human rights defender Mir Yar Baloch on Friday claimed that following the Saranan operation, the Baloch armed fighters have captured the Kahatan Police Station in the Bolan area of Balochistan and set it ablaze after confiscating police records, weapons and ammunition.
Sharing visuals on his social media platform X, Mir said, "After Saranan, Pishin, another police station is now gone. The Baloch Defense and Security Forces of the Republic of Balochistan have captured the Kahatan Police Station in the Bolan area. After confiscating the police records, weapons, and ammunition, the building was set on fire. The Pakistani military maintains multiple checkpoints in the area, yet remains confined to its barracks."
"The Baloch forces are steadily expanding their control across the Republic of Balochistan, marking a growing shift in control on the ground," he added.
On Thursday, Baloch armed fighters set up blockades and seized commercial vehicles on major highways across Balochistan, including Kalat, Mastung, Kharan, Chagai and Washuk, local media reported.
The Balochistan Post reported that the Pakistani forces were also targeted in an ambush in Kalat while the blockades disrupted traffic on major highways.
Citing sources, it noted that the Pakistani forces were ambushed as they were advancing into the area in armoured vehicles.
The attack occurred a day after Pakistani forces personnel travelling on foot near Makai in the Manguchar area of Kalat were targeted by an improvised explosive device while advancing towards their posts. Reports suggest that the blast resulted in the death of six Pakistani personnel.
These latest incidents come against the backdrop of escalating attacks by Baloch armed groups targeting Pakistani military and police forces across Balochistan in recent days, resulting in heavy casualties and damage to infrastructure.
