Baloch rebels target death squad—kill chief of the Pak sponsored unit

Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) has claimed that their Special Tactical Operations Squad (STOS) has finally killed Habib Shah, the chief of the Pakistani army sponsored death squad on February 28. Sharing the details and pictures of their operations, the rebels said in a Twitter post that “the STOS fighters targeted the vehicle of Habeeb Shah near Shakir Hotel in Hub in Balochistan killing the dreaded chief and injuring his bodyguards.”

Tthe BLA doesn’t want cooperation between the Chinese government and Pakistan. They believe the Pakistani government is exploiting Balochistan to further its relationship with China. The BLA emerged in the summer of 2000 when it carried out bombings against civilians. But the attacks against Chinese infrastructure projects are the largest they have carried out in years.

Habeeb Shah was also a local leader of Balochistan Awami Party, the governing party of the province. He was leading an armed group under the patronage of Pakistani intelligence services — locally known as “death squads”. According to Baloch rebels, Habib Shah’s militia had abducted two Baloch youths from Panjgur after the attack on a Pakistani military camp last month. Since then there was no news about them.

“Habib Shah abandoned the Baloch freedom struggle and surrendered before the enemy forces in 2016. Since then he was heading a death squad in Kalat under the patronage of Zia Langove”, BLA said in the statement adding that “BLA’s operations against occupying forces and its agents will continue.” This is major success for the pro-independence group that had carried out twin deadly attacks on the camps of the Pakistani security forces early last month apparently killing scores of soldiers. Since then, the Baloch militants have intensified their attacks in the restive province of Pakistan.