Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khwaja Asif has acknowledged that the Baloch rebels, who carried out a series of attacks in Balochistan province over the past week, have modern American weapons, including night vision devices and rifles, saying “Even the Pakistan Army doesn’t have those weapons.”
Khwaja Asif also claimed that the so-called leadership of separatists group is based in Afghanistan, bordering Balochistan, and said, “they receive support from there.”
While addressing the National Assembly, Pak Defence Minister admitted that security forces has been struggling against rebel fighters due to the large size of Balochistan province and the advanced technological method used by them amid fresh surge in recent rise in militant violence.
“They had a rifle worth Rs 2 million– we don’t have that rifle. They also had thermal weapon sights worth $4,000-$5,000. The total military gear that they own is close to $20,000. Where is it coming from? Who is paying for it?” Asif asked.
He also alleged that the rifles and night vision equipment, used by them were “American weapons.”
Khwaja Asif also accepted that Baloch rebels- led by Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), were specifically targeting and exploiting Pakistani Punjabis. He also issued warning that Pakistan government would deploy harsh measures and the use full power of the state against the BLA.
He accused the BLA was the military wing of criminals that involved in smuggling, saying, “They are involved in mischief in the world (fasad-ul-ard) […] and talks cannot be held with them.”
Insurgency in Balochistan
A security official said on Wednesday that Pakistan’s security forces have killed nearly 200 separatist insurgents in Balochistan since a series of attacks over the weekend, bringing the total death toll above 250.
In these clashes at least 36 civilians and 22 security personnel have also been killed, as per the security officials.
Clashes between government forces and rebels have continued, with sporadic fighting still reported in certain districts after gunmen targeted banks, jails, police stations, and military facilities.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), Balochistan’s most active separatist organisation, has claimed responsibility for the attacks.
Pakistan has been fighting a Baloch insurgency for decades now, with repeated armed attacks on Pak security forces, foreign nationals, and non-local Pakistani people in the mineral-rich province that borders Afghanistan and Iran.
