Roundup of events in Balochistan

Though not given focused attention in the Western media, the unrest in Balochistan continues. With increased Taliban activity to the north, the Baloch nationalist movement flies under the radar. These updates are from the South Asia Terrorism Portal.

April 1

An employee of the Water and Power Development Authority was killed and three others wounded in a landmine explosion in the Mach area of Bolan district in Balochistan province on March 31, according to Dawn. The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attack.

Meanwhile, insurgents reportedly blew up four pylons of the Quetta-Sibi double circuit transmission line near the Mach area on March 31, disrupting power supply to Quetta and several other areas in Balochistan. According to officials, the insurgents planted explosive devices around the four towers of the 220 KV Quetta-Sibi and 132 KV Quetta-Sibi double circuit transmission line in Kartani, some seven kilometres away from Mach township, and detonated them at around 2:27am. A vast swath of territory stretching from northern to southern Balochistan was plunged into darkness and power supply was suspended to 37 grid stations, according to Dawn.

Further, the insurgents also blew up a railway bridge and track at the Sibi-Harnai section on the same day. Separately, an employee of the Sui Northern Gas Company was injured when he was struck by an anti-personnel landmine in the Talnet area of Sui. Official sources added that rocket and mortar fire was exchanged in parts of Dera Bugti and Kohlu.

April 2

According to The News, three soldiers were injured when their vehicle struck a landmine in the Kali Mat area of Dera Bugti district in Balochistan province on April 1. In another incident, two passengers of a vehicle were wounded when their vehicle struck a landmine in the Piri area of the same district.

In the provincial capital Quetta, Baloch insurgents hurled a hand grenade into the house of a police personnel in the Sariab Road locality on April 1-afternoon wounding his daughter-in-law.

Further, the insurgents fired five rockets from atop nearby mountains damaging a perimeter wall of the Government Degree College in Dera Bugti. Separately, armed men fired 13 rockets at a check-post of the paramilitary Frontier Corps in the Pathar Nullah area of Pir Koh. However, no casualties were reported in these incidents.

April 3

13 people, including nine security force (SF) personnel, were killed and 28 others sustained injuries in a series of landmine blasts and attacks on troops in various parts of Balochistan province on April 2, according to The News.

Meanwhile, seven SF personnel were killed during another landmine blast near Sanni Cross in the Dhahdhar area of Bolan district.

Further, a bomb blast was reported from a field camp of the Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) in Kohlu district. A clash which erupted between insurgents and SF personnel after the explosion killed two soldiers and wounded eight. "The fighting is still on," a security official told Reuters.

April 5

At least seven personnel of the Frontier Corps (FC) were killed and 11 injured in two landmine blasts in the Loti and Ghori areas of Dera Bugti district in Balochistan province on April 3 and 4, according to Nawab Akbar Bugti. Official sources, however, confirmed the death of two FC personnel with injuries to six others, Dawn reported.

Calling from an unidentified place on telephone, Nawab Bugti alleged that security forces (SFs) had demolished hundreds of houses of Bugti tribesmen outside the Sui gas-field. He said that the Government had set up a force comprising people of Bandlani clan who were helping the SFs in raiding and demolishing the houses of Bugti tribesmen. He also claimed that troops had fired many rockets and mortar shells at his fort in Dera Bugti, which was lying vacant for the last two months.

April 6

Two rocket attacks targeting check posts of the Frontier Corps (FC) were reported from the Dera Bugti district of Balochistan province on April 5. According to Dawn, tribesmen fired nine 107mm rockets at an FC check post in the Dera Bugti area. Another FC post in the Gundoi area was targeted with five rockets. However, no loss of life or property was reported in both incidents.

In a related development, police arrested six persons from the Subatpur area and seized arms and ammunition from their possession. The seizure included 12 anti-tank mines, six AK-47 assault rifles and four rockets. During another raid by the FC personnel, five anti-tank mines and two rockets were seized near Gwadar although no arrest was reported.

April 7

Gas supply to a number of factories in the Lasbela Industrial Estate was disrupted after a gas pipeline in Hub, the industrial town of Balochistan, was blown up on April 6, Dawn reported. According to official sources, some people had planted an explosive device under the pipeline supplying gas to factories in Hub. A caller identifying himself as Mirak Baloch and claiming to be a spokesman of the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) told newsmen on the phone that the BLA carried out the blast and a hand-grenade attack on the house of a police constable in Quetta, the provincial capital.

A state-owned bank building was damaged when two bombs exploded in the Wadh area, about 400km southeast of Quetta, on April 6. "The bombs had been planted by terrorists near the main gate of the Agriculture Development Bank. The blast damaged the structure, but no one was hurt as the bank was closed at the time," a police officer told Associated Press.

April 8

At least three persons were killed in landmine blasts and exchange of fire between security forces and insurgents in the Wadh area of Khuzdar district and Dera Bugti in Balochistan, according to The News. Official sources said firing continued for several hours between the two sides in Wadh. They said a convoy of the security forces was on its way from Karachi when it was attacked by armed men riding motorbikes. One of the bullets hit the driver of the official vehicle killing him on the spot while two soldiers died subsequently. Later, the armed men set ablaze the vehicle and escaped from the incident site. Seven others were injured during the crossfire, the sources added.

In Chaghai, officials of the Levies force said a hospital operating under the supervision of a foreign NGO was attacked with hand grenades. However, no loss of life was reported.

April 9

According to The News, dozens of alleged supporters of Nawab Akbar Bugti laid down their arms on April 8 and surrendered to authorities in Balochistan. The 40 men claimed they had been fighting security forces and damaging gas facilities in the province on the orders of Nawab Akbar Bugti, said Abdul Samad Lasi, the district coordination officer of Dera Bugti district. The insurgents led by Zafar alias Zafru and Shah Mor surrendered their weapons at a public ceremony in Dera Bugti, 300 kilometers south-east of the provincial capital Quetta, Lasi informed.

However, Nawab Bugti’s spokesman Agha Shahid denied the allegations, and said the 40 men were "robbers" and had no links with the tribal leader.

April 10

The Government on April 9 banned the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) after declaring it as a terrorist organisation for its alleged involvement in terrorist activities. According to a notification issued by the Interior Ministry, the BLA is headed by some tribal leaders. The notification has been sent to provincial Governments for action against the outfit. The Federal Government exercised its powers under section 11(b) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, to declare the BLA a terrorist organisation.

April 11

Two persons, identified as Ahmed Yar and Muhammad Nawaz, was killed and 20 others sustained injuries in a bomb explosion at Kohlu in the Balochistan province on April 10, according to Dawn. "A home-made bomb planted in a barber shop went off, killing one person," an official said. The blast also destroyed four shops in the town’s main bazaar. A suspect was later detained in connection with the incident.

At least five troops of the Makran Scouts, a wing of the Frontier Corps (FC), were wounded after a landmine exploded in the Mand area of Turbat district near the Iranian border. The incident occurred as the FC vehicle was on its way to Turbat from Mand. Separately, at least six rockets were fired on FC check-posts in the Dera Bugti area on April 10-morning.

In another incident, a bomb exploded in Gwadar on April 10-night, damaging window-panes of houses on the Hospital Road. Further, a hand-grenade was hurled into a house in Nushki. However, no loss of life or injuries was reported.

Meanwhile, insurgents blew up rail tracks near Nushki on the Quetta-Zahidan sector. Railway officials said that rail traffic on the Quetta-Zahidan section was suspended after a two-foot section of the track was blown up.

April 13

Two persons, identified as Mian and Shahil, were killed and an equal number injured in a landmine blast in the Sui area of Dera Bugti district in the Balochistan province on April 12. Officials said a vehicle carrying five persons was on its way from Sui to the Gandoi area when it struck a roadside landmine at Dilbar Mit.

In another incident, suspected insurgents fired six missiles at a check-post of the paramilitary Frontier Corps (FC) on April 12 in the Pir Koh area. Further, armed insurgents reportedly attacked an FC check-post in the Talngo area of Kohlu district on the same day. However, the rockets landed in an abandoned area, causing no damage. Separately, insurgents fired indiscriminately at the Chashma check-post of FC. However, they fled after security forces opened retaliatory fire. No loss of life was reported.

April 14

Suspected tribal rebels fired at least 10 rockets at a Frontier Corps (FC) check post in Dera Bugti and later blew up a water supply line in Pir Koh in the Balochistan province, according to Daily Times. However, no casualty was reported either in the incident or during the subsequent army retaliation. Blowing up of the water supply line resulted in the suspension of water supply to Pir Koh. Separately, security force personnel defused two landmines in the Pir Koh area.

April 15

On April 14, insurgents blew up a railway bridge and track on the Sibi-Harnai section near the Tandori area of Balochistan province. Officials said that explosives were planted under the 150-foot bridge, which was blown up for the second time in the past one and a half months. The train service on the Sibi-Harnai section had been suspended since the bridge was destroyed last month.

Meanwhile, armed insurgents reportedly fired at least 20 rockets on various Frontier Corps (FC) check-posts on April 14. Sources said that 15 rockets landed near FC check-posts in the Pir Koh, Chashma, Sangsilla areas of Dera Bugti district. Further, the insurgents also fired five rockets on a check-post in the Mand area near the Iranian border. However, no loss of life or injuries was reported in these incidents.

April 17

According to Dawn, one person was killed and a Major of the Frontier Corps (FC) was wounded in an exchange of fire between security forces (SFs) and insurgents in the Toba Kakari area of Pishin district in Balochistan on April 16. The FC personnel were patrolling in the border area of Toba Kakari close to the Afghan border when armed men opened fire on their vehicle.

Meanwhile, suspected insurgents fired at least seven rockets at the security forces’ check posts in Sibi and four in Tandoori. Most rockets landed in open areas but one rocket partially damaged the Hurnai Section bridge halting traffic, according to Daily Times.

The place names will tell you that the attacks occured all over the province, in just about every corner, with the bulk of the attacks concentrated in the area between Quetta and Dera Bugti.

Land mines are a favorite weapon. Akin to IEDs in Iraq, the mines discourage travel and commerce. Easily laid in the mountanious, often inhospitable terrian, mines are difficult to interdict.

You'll also notice attacks on gas pipelines, and on power and water facilities. The first to attack Pakistan's economic interests, and the second to make it harder for Pakistani troops to operate in the region.

Railways and bridges are attacked for similar reasons, to hinder mobility.

The Baloch nationalist movement is not letting up, as the constant pace of attacks will indicate. To this point, the rebels haven't shown they have enough power to defeat Pakistani troops militarily, but the incessant attacks, especially on infrastructure, will have an effect over the long-term. Pakistan may find itself drawn deeper into territory that favors a guerilla movement, and Pakistan may turn to retaliatory attacks.

Combined with the Taliban unrest in Waziristan, Baluchistan poses a problem for Pakistan.

UPDATE: Today, Pakistan's President Musharraf had this to say about Balochistan:

The government has resolved the Balochistan issue "amicably" and no law and order situation exists there anymore, said President General Pervez Musharraf on Monday. The government will introduce administrative reforms in Balochistan, said the president. "Several development projects have been started in Balochistan so that the people of the province can be brought to par with the other provinces," he said. Peace has been restored in the province in letter and spirit, he added.

Uh, President Musharraf, please call your office...