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Pakistan launched military operation in Balochistan

Quetta. Dec. 19th, 2005. The Baloch people in Balochistan and from allover the world are outraged and
angered over the disturbing news of a full scale Military operation which is being carried out by Pakistani
military and its security forces in Kohlu and Dera Bugti (Balochistan). According to the News Reports coming
out of Balochistan, more than 60 Baloch civilians have been killed and about 200 including women and
children have been injured in the past 24 hours in Kohlu alone. The sources said that more than 2,000
Pakistani troops of the Frontier Corps (FC) are taking part in the action and gunship helicopters are flying at
regular interval sorties from Loralai and Sibi airfields. According to reports, the forces have destroyed some
camps of Baloch and many houses of Baloch freedom fighters, who are fighting against the occupation of their
land and exploitation of their resources by Pakistan for the past 58 year.

Pakistan’s ISPR chief Maj-Gen Shaukat Sultan confirmed the military operation and the use of helicopter
gunship in the action. He also claimed that jet fighters are also taking part in the bombardment against the
“miscreants” and that the action was “limited” to an area. He said that three Baloch camps have been
destroyed and the helicopter gunship are targeting other camps in Kahan, Fazilchal and Tali areas.

Meanwhile, Baloch Nationalist Leader Balaach Marri told reporters by phone that helicopter gunship were
targeting innocent Marri Baloch, leaving many of them dead. He said the rulers want to crush the Baloch Nation
but they will not succeed. He warned that the state would face consequences as the Baloch people would not
bow before rulers and would not allow them to take control of their resources.

Amanullah Kasi adds: The Anjuman Ittehad Marri said that army helicopters bombarded several civilian areas
in Kahan for a second day on Sunday and dozens of Marri tribesmen were arrested in Quetta and Sibi.

The anjuman said in a statement issued in Quetta that army had established operational bases in Kohlu,
Barkhan and Sibi and hundreds of vehicles with modern equipment had been dispatched to the areas to
conduct a large-scale operation. It said the tribesmen arrested in Quetta and Sibi included servants of Baloch
leader Nawab Khair Bakhsh Marri. A late-night report said personnel of the law-enforcement agencies had
raided the residence of Nawab Khair Bakhsh Marri and
arrested several of his servants.

Secretary-General of the National Party Mir Hasil Khan Bizenjo said that,” the government has launched an
undeclared military operation and a search operation in Balochistan being carried out by the law enforcement
agencies.”
. He said the government should resolve the Balochistan issue through political dialogue instead of using
military force. He stressed Balochistan needed constitutional rights for removing its sense of deprivation.
He said heavy forces were deployed in Dera Bugti, Kalat, Nauski, Khulo and Makran areas, where a large
number of political workers had been arrested. He charged that the federal government was not serious in
addressing the grievances of Balochistan.” The NP leader said that scores of nationalist and other political
activists had been detained and a search operation was under way in Dera Bugti, Mekran, Kalat and Kohlu.
Deployment of paramilitary forces in the areas had also been increased, he added.

“This clearly indicates that the government wants to crush the people’s voice,” he observed, and accused the
rulers of working against the country’s integrity by ignoring the interests of 70 per cent of its population to
safeguard those of the biggest province.

“I have heard of full military activity in some parts of Kohlu district for the second day running and I saw eight
helicopter gunship and heard heavy firing,” said Eyewitnesses from Dera Murad Jamali. Many people from
Dera Bugti and Sibi also saw helicopters flying overhead. An Online reported that Hindu families were fleeing
Dera Bugti for Jacobabad in fear of a major military offensive. An FC spokesman said they had taken more than
100 Baloch militant into custody and that house-to-house search for other is in progress. The day earlier,
Pakistani interior minister Mr. Rashid Sheik claimed in a news conference in Turbat Mekran that they have
arrested more 6000 Baloch from allover Balochistan, and that Govt is determined to eliminate Baloch militants.

Three Marri camps were destroyed, dozens of “miscreants” (Baloch Freedom Fighters) were killed and
hundreds injured in an army operation launched late Sunday night in Kohlu and Killi. All roads leading to Dera
Bugti have been blocked, and there were reports of exchange of fire at different locations.

According to unofficial sources, military jets and gunship helicopters are being used in the operation. The
casualties could not be confirmed through official sources.

However, the government sources have confirmed the use of helicopters in the operation. When contacted,
ISPR spokesman Maj General Shaukat Sultan said the operation had been launched against specific targets,
which would continue till the results were achieved.

Extraordinary movement of troops was reported and sound of blasts reverberated in Kohlu, which spread panic
in the entire area. The people of area, who had already started shifting to safer places in the wake of movement
of troops, have intensified their evacuation.

According to various news agencies, an additional brigade of regular army troops equipped with heavy
weapons has reached Sui, bringing to 17, 000 the number of troops stationed in the area. The FC has dug up
trenches and laid complete siege of Dera Bugti.

ISPR spokesman Maj General has said that the operation has been launched in Kohlu and Dera Bugti to root
out a number of hideouts of “miscreants” (Baloch Freedom Fighters).

According to Sana News, Kohlu Marri tribes and eminent personalities, Former top gorilla and BPLF leader
who is the leader of the biggest Marri tribal branch of Bijarani Marri Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani Marri has shown
his out most against the current operation against Marri’s, Wadera Mian Khan Marri, Wadera Haibat Khan
Marri, Wadera Ahmad Khan Zang Marri, Wadera Shambo Khan, Khan Loharani Marri, Mir Ashraf Ali Marri,
Wadera Naseer Khan Marri, Wadera Khera Marri, Wadera Habib Shairani Marri, Wadera Zarkhan Marri and
others, expressing severe reaction over the military operation, said the government had started military
operation in Marri Agency and Kohlu. They have demolished several houses and arrested several persons,
shifting them to unspecified locations.

According to the reports, at least 140 persons have been arrested so far. According to a private TV channel, jet
fighters took part in military operation along with Para-military forces. Operation is being carried out in a strip
encircling Kohlu to Sibi. Official sources said there were 118 camps of “miscreants” (Baloch Freedom
Fighters) in the region with five to ten thousands Baloch Freedom Fighters who were being trained for anti-
state activities. And these hideouts of Farari (Baloch Freedom Fighters) were targeted in the operation.
Gunship helicopters were also used during operation. Three camps of the “miscreants” (Baloch Freedom
Fighters) were destroyed completely and heavy cache of arms and ammunition was recovered from these
camps. Baloch Nationalist Leader Balaach Marri has claimed that 60 to 70 people were killed during operation
and more than 200 have been injured. However, there was no official confirmation.

According to our Kashmore correspondent, intense firing was reported between FC and Baloch Freedom
Fighters from 10:00 am to 12 Noon in Dera Bugti Tribes. However, no casualty has been reported yet. FC
Troops have sieged 40 villages of Marri tribes in Kohlu and firing was reported between FC and Marri Baloch
Freedom Fighters with light weapons on Sunday morning. No casualty was reported whereas FC was
conducting operation in Dera Bugti. An official of FC told that the Leader of Anjuman Ittihad Marri has been
arrested.

Meanwhile, Anjuman Ittehad Marri (AIM) claimed an operation had been intensified on the second day in Kohlu.
According to a press statement issued by the AIM, helicopter gunship took part in the "military operation" in the
area and the scope of the operation is being expanded. The AIM claimed that several Marri tribesmen,
including an employee family of Nawab Marri, had been arrested from Quetta, while some arrests had also
been made from Sibi. Security forces, comprising some 100 vehicles, have also reached Sibi from Quetta to
take part in what was termed a "military operation".
The AIM also claimed that over a "dozen helicopters and aircrafts pounded various areas of Kahan and even
bombed the civil population". "The situation refreshed the terrified memories of the military operation in 1970s."
The AIM said temporary airbases have been set up in Kohlu, Barkhan and Sibi for the military operation. "There
is no knowledge about the human losses because the areas are sealed and there is no media access to the
area."
Meanwhile, President National Party Dr Abdul Hayee Baloch said the situation of Balochistan was like that of
former East Pakistan in 1970, and added that Balochistan required a political solution instead of a military
operation.

Baloch termed the Parliamentary Committee on Balochistan Issues eyewash, saying that the report of the
committee was not presented to the federal government in time. "We were hopeful that the parliamentary
committee would present its recommendations to solve the issues confronting the province, and the
government would endeavour to do so by taking its recommendations into account," he added.
Responding to a query, he said that the all parties conference (APC) of the ARD held in Lahore had asked the
government to abstain from using force in Balochistan. He added that the issues confronting the province
would be included in the agenda of the next ARD meeting.

In the meantime, the office-bearers of the Balochistan National Party (BNP) and the Baloch Students
Organisation (BSO) Sibi have demanded of the government to halt what they termed the military operation in
Kohlu, Dera Bugti and Mundai areas immediately. In a joint statement issued here on Sunday, President BNP
Sibi Aslam Jatoi, President BSO Asif Baloch, Shafi Baloch and others condemned "the operation".

AP adds: Soldiers backed by helicopter gunship attacked a suspected militant hideout on the outskirts of Kolhu
on Sunday, but it was not immediately clear whether there were casualties, an Army spokesman said.
Hundreds of troops and helicopters "carried out a successful raid in Kolhu after receiving information that
“miscreants” are hiding there," Army spokesman Maj-Gen Shaukat Sultan said. However, he would not say
whether there were any casualties among the militants and said it was too early to provide information about
the offensive.

Kolhu has been the scene of scores of rockets attacks against security forces in recent years, most blamed on
local tribesmen who oppose government plans to set up military garrisons in tribal areas of the province.

Meanwhile, Hindu families have started shifting from Dera Bugti to other places, including Jacobabad, due to
fear of a military operation. They said the situation in Dera Bugti is worsening day by day and the military has
besieged the area so the operation can be launched any time. According to Jamhori Wattan Party chief Nawab
Akbar Bugti as many as 15,000 troops have besieged Dera Bugti to launch the operation.