The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has reportedly claimed responsibility for a rare tactical ambush killing a Pakistani Army major and two other soldiers in a deadly IED attack that also occurred in the Nushki district of Balochistan. The operation was executed with the use of intelligence that BLA gained through a secret group within the organization, Jiraab, and a change in their mode of operation.
Deadly Strike in Nushki: BLA’s Evolving Warfare Strategy
The ambush by BLA in Nushki is one of the recent encounters, which is a bitter reminder of the rising insurgency in Balochistan. On Tuesday night, the army convoy of Major Rizwan was attacked in Gargina, a tense region in the Nushki district. The bulletproof military vehicle was passing when it was hit by an IED that was planted by the BLA operatives, and three soldiers – Major Rizwan, Naib Subedar Ameen, and Lance Naik Younis – were killed.
Reportedly, three other soldiers were seriously injured in the attack, according to the report filed by Chetna Manch. The Pakistan Army has not provided any official statement so far, yet the silence is a great detail due to the increased internal and external pressure and the growing casualties.
Jiraab: BLA’s Secret Intel Arm Behind Precision Attacks
This attack is unique in the accuracy with which it was carried out. Through The Balochistan Post, BLA spokesperson Jiand Baloch proclaimed that the operation was conducted based upon the intelligence they got with the ‘Jiraab – the BLA secret surveillance unit. The group asserts that its spying opportunities are booming, with Jiraab being able to hit valuable targets with low secondary impacts.
The Pakistani military command is faced with a new challenge of the application of actionable intelligence by a separatist militia. It is no longer guerrilla warfare, but this is systematic information-based militancy.
Implications for Pakistan’s Control Over Balochistan
This is because the attack has once again brought up the doubts about the diminishing control that Pakistan has over Balochistan. On the one hand, as the BLA gets more confident, the actions taken by Pakistan to deal with the insurgency are getting less effective. Not only has the threat of violence been sporadic, but there have also been threats of targeted and evidence-based operations that disrupt the core of state power.
