Baluch Liberation Front

Balochistan Liberation Front
Leader(s) Sher Mohammad Marri
Dr. Allah Nazar Baloch (2009-present)
Active region(s) Balochistan
Ideology Baluch nationalism
[1]

The Balochistan Liberation Front (Urdu: بلوچستان لبریشن فرنٹ‎; BLF) is a political front and militant group founded by Jumma Khan Marri in 1964 in Damascus, and played an important role in the 1968-1980 insurgency in Pakistani Balochistan and Iranian Balochistan. The group deny any type of collaboration with Jundullah, because of their religious extremism.[1]

History

In August 2012, Reporters without borders announced that BBC’s Urdu service correspondent in Quetta Ayub Tareen has been threatened by the BLF for his perceived partisan reporting on the group's political activities.[2]

On early 27 July 2013, gunmen attacked a coastguard checkpost in Suntsar, Gwadar District. While the provincial home secretary admitted that seven coastguard officials were killed and seven wounded, other intelligence sources claim that the number of deaths were ten. BLF claimed responsibility for the attack, stating that 25 coastguards were killed, and 2 kidnapped, while 2 of their militants were also killed in the gunfire.[3]

In 12 April 2015, 20 construction workers from Punjab and Sindh were gunned down in Turbat by armed gunmen, which the BLF later claimed responsibility for. After the attack, the Home Minister of Balochistan, Sarfraz Bugti claimed that Indian intelligence agencies were involved in supporting the BLF in carrying out such attacks.[4] BLF claimed that the workers were members of Frontier Works Organization, which is a body linked to the Pakistani Army.[5]

On 16 November 2017, the bodies of 15 Punjabi migrants were discovered in the city of Turbat. Security officials claimed that while attempting to cross the border, the migrants were kidnapped by armed men who later killed them. The BLF later claimed responsibility for the murder of the 15 migrants. [6]

References

  1. 1 2 Karlos Zurutuza (26 October 2012). "Q&A: 'Baloch Groups to Unite Against Pakistan'". Inter Press Service.
  2. ↑ BBC CORRESPONDENT IN QUETTA THREATENED BY BALOCH LIBERATION FRONT Reporters without borders, 1 August 2012
  3. ↑ BALOCH LIBERATION FRONT GUNMEN KILLED AT LEAST SEVEN OFFICIALS AND INJURED ANOTHER SEVEN IN EARLY MORNING ATTACK. Newsweek (AFP), 27 July 2013
  4. ↑ 20 labourers gunned down in Turbat Dawn, 12 April 2015
  5. ↑ Diplomat, Karlos Zurutuza, The. "Understanding Pakistan's Baloch Insurgency". The Diplomat. Retrieved 2017-12-10.
  6. ↑ 15 men from Punjab found dead in Kech Express Tribune 15 November 2017


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