What is happening in Balochistan: Analysis

On January 30-31, the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) carried out coordinated attacks across at least nine districts of Balochistan, targeting police stations, military outposts and a high-security prison in Quetta, the provincial capital. In a video released online, BLA leader Bashir Zeb Baloch claimed responsibility for the attacks, describing them as the second phase of the ‘Herof’ (Black Storm) operation. He called on Baloch men and women to leave their homes and join the “national liberation war” against the Pakistani military. The BLA claimed it killed 84 security personnel and kidnapped 18 others. According to Pakistani authorities, the military launched…