Balochistan [Pakistan], March 14: The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a Baloch rebel organization, has claimed responsibility for the execution of 214 hostages following a failed negotiation with the Pakistani army. The BLA stated that it had issued a 48-hour ultimatum to Pakistan to exchange prisoners of war, but the Pakistani forces did not respond, leading to the tragic deaths of the hostages.
In a statement, Jeeyand Baloch, a spokesperson for the BLA, criticized Pakistan’s military leadership for its “stubbornness and military arrogance” in ignoring the warning. According to the BLA, the Pakistani government’s refusal to engage in serious negotiations resulted in the execution of all 214 hostages.
“The Baloch Liberation Army had given the Pakistani army a 48-hour ultimatum to exchange prisoners of war, which was the last chance for the occupying army to save the lives of its personnel,” the statement read. “However, Pakistan, displaying its traditional stubbornness, not only avoided serious negotiations but also turned a blind eye to the ground realities. As a result of this stubbornness, all 214 hostages have been executed.”
The BLA further emphasized that they had always adhered to international laws of war, but felt compelled to take extreme action due to Pakistan’s refusal to engage. “BLA has always acted in accordance with the principles of war and international law, but the Pakistani state preferred to use its personnel as fuel for war instead of saving their lives,” the statement continued. “The enemy had to pay the price for this stubbornness in the form of the execution of 214 personnel.”
In a somber tribute, the rebel organization honored 12 of its fighters who were killed in the battle. The statement mentioned that three freedom fighters were martyred in one battle and four more in another. Additionally, the BLA honored five Fidayeen fighters from the Majeed Brigade who made the ultimate sacrifice during the ongoing conflict.
The BLA claimed that in Operation Darra-e-Bolan, their forces ambushed Pakistani military personnel, leading to a series of intense battles in which hostages were executed by the rebels. The organization described how Fidayeen fighters trapped the enemy, conducted ambushes, and ultimately, in the face of heavy casualties, fought until their last bullet.
“Fidayeen locked some hostage military personnel in special bogies and took up positions, while other freedom fighters managed to take the remaining hostages to a safe location. When the Zarar Company of Pakistani SSG commandos arrived to rescue the hostages, Fidayeen surrounded and attacked them fiercely. In this battle, which lasted for several hours, SSG commandos suffered heavy casualties, and the hostages were executed,” the statement claimed.
The BLA also accused the Pakistani army of attempting to portray the bodies of their dead fighters as a “success,” despite the fact that the fighters’ mission was never to return alive but to fight until their last breath. “Despite all its military and intelligence superiority, the army failed to rescue the hostages. Moreover, those whom the Pakistani state is portraying as ‘rescued’ were actually released by the BLA on the first day, granted safe passage under the rules of war,” the statement claimed.
The rebel organization further declared that the battle was far from over. “This battle is not over yet but has intensified. Baloch freedom fighters are continuously targeting the occupying army with ambushes in different areas, and the enemy is still struggling to even retrieve the bodies of its fallen personnel,” the BLA said. They also mentioned that they would release more information about the operation once it is concluded.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, the Pakistan Army’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Directorate stated that the clearance operation for the hijacked Jaffar Express train had been completed, with 33 rebels killed during the operation.