Balochistan escalation reveals Pakistan's security overstretch

New Delhi: The events in Balochistan have left the Pakistan establishment embarrassed as the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) has claimed that it killed at least 280 Pakistani personnel during Phase II of "Operation Herof".

Reports from Balochistan state that many Pakistani personnel are quickly retreating as they are not able to scale up to the level that the BLA has. The BLA has said that it lost 35 of its fighters. This includes 18 suicide attackers from the Majeed Brigade.

Indian officials say that the Pakistan establishment and the Baloch people have been waging a battle for nearly 60 years. However, this is the most intense battle and the Pakistan security establishment is set to face losses that it would have never ever imagined, an official said.

Another official said that the establishment in Pakistan should have found a political solution to the problem. It chose violence instead and is now paying the price. The army top brass are too egoistic to sit down and hold talks with the Baloch leaders. They have put themselves in a situation that they are unable to wriggle out of at the moment.

On the other hand, groups like the BLA have strengthened themselves. They are using sophisticated weapons and relying heavily on intelligence to battle the enemy. The leadership has young people, and in recent times, even women are playing an active part in the struggle.

The expert said that the very fact that many Pakistani personnel are retreating only shows the might of the BLA and the resolve of the Baloch people. Many are not interested in this battle as they know they are fighting a losing one. The same is the case in the fight against the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), experts add.

An assessment by the Indian Intelligence agencies says that the Pakistan establishment is cornered from every side. There are the Taliban in Afghanistan, the TTP and the Baloch in Pakistan itself. The security forces are in a simultaneous battle with all three groups and hence is finding it hard to deploy enough manpower. It is not in a position to reduce manpower on one front and send it to another, an Intelligence Bureau official said.

During this latest battle, the BLA said that it had managed to kill members of the Army, Frontier Corps (FC), police, Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), and death squads backed by the army. This in itself is alarming since there are five different units on the battlefield and yet they are unable to take on a single group, officials added.

The BLA has, on the other hand, maintained communication and ensured that all information relating to "Herof 2" is passed on. This has been embarrassing for the Pakistan establishment as the losses are coming out in the open. Earlier, the establishment had managed to conceal its losses, but today it is failing to do so, the experts say.

Even Pakistan’s Defence Minister, Khawaja Asif, admitted that the Pakistani security forces were handicapped against the Baloch rebels. This is due to the sheer size of the Balochistan province, he said. The remarks came after simultaneous attacks were launched across multiple towns in the province by the BLA.

Asif told the National Assembly that their forces were facing geographical challenges. Balochistan constitutes over 40 per cent of Pakistan geographically, and it is much more difficult than a populated city. He also said that there is a need to deploy a massive amount of forces, and ruled out any talks with the BLA.

Officials say that the Defence Minister’s admission says it all. The government may want to hold talks with the Baloch people, but within the army, there are many who will not allow it, even if it means facing losses and more embarrassment, the official added.