QUETTA, Jan 31 – In a dramatic escalation of the Baloch insurgency, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) unleashed ‘Operation Herof 2.0’ across Balochistan on Saturday, targeting multiple Pakistani military installations in coordinated assaults. Local media reports indicate fierce clashes, explosions, and attacks rippled through several districts, plunging the province into chaos.
BLA spokesperson Jiyand Baloch declared this as a ‘decisive phase of resistance’ against the occupying state and its entire military and administrative apparatus. ‘The people of Balochistan stand with our fighters in every city, street, and neighborhood to defeat the enemy,’ he asserted, emphasizing that the operation aims to prove there is no room for occupiers in Balochistan.
Tension gripped key areas including Quetta, Nushki, Kalat, Mastung, Dalbandin, Kharan, Gwadar, Pasni, Tump, Bulida, and Dhadar. Reports of heavy gunfire, blasts, and assaults on police and army bases poured in from residents and local sources. In Quetta’s sensitive Red Zone and surrounding neighborhoods, civilians reported intense shootouts and detonations.
One striking incident unfolded on Sarayab Road in Quetta, where armed assailants ambushed a Pakistani police mobile van, killing two personnel and setting the vehicle ablaze. Gunfire echoed from the direction of the railway station, heightening fears across the city.
In a statement to media outlets, the BLA claimed simultaneous strikes in 10 cities during Operation Herof 2.0, disrupting enemy movements and repelling Pakistani troops in multiple zones. Fidayeen squads targeted army and ISI camps in Quetta, Pasni, Gwadar, Nushki, and Dalbandin, with the group’s Majeed Brigade allegedly infiltrating and seizing control of significant portions of these facilities.
The militants boasted of neutralizing dozens of Pakistani military outposts, promising more details soon. BLA Commander-in-Chief Bashir Zeb Baloch issued a rallying cry via the group’s media wing, urging Balochistan’s people to rise against the Pakistani army. ‘This struggle belongs to our collective consciousness. When a nation unites, no enemy can withstand,’ he said, calling for mass participation in Operation Herof.
Balochistan’s fight for independence from Pakistan continues amid longstanding grievances. Human rights groups have repeatedly highlighted Pakistani forces’ brutal crackdowns, including violent raids, enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and fabricated charges against Baloch leaders and civilians. As clashes rage on, the province remains a powder keg, with the BLA vowing unrelenting pressure until liberation is achieved.