Balochistan: Seven including women and children killed in Dera Bugti shooting and explosion

QUETTA: Armed men attacked a house in Dera Bugti on Thursday night killing a man, his two wives and two daughters. Other relatives of the same man were killed in an IED attack.

According to detail unknown armed men attacked the house of Jajjar Bugti in Toba Nohkani area of Zain Koh in Dera Bugti and killed six members of a family including women and children.

Jajjar is reportedly a relative of Wadera Ismael Khan Bugti who has recently surrendered before Pakistani forces.

Daily Balochistan Express reported that ‘Wadera Ismael Khan Bugti’s vehicle was targeted in a landmine blast while he was coming to Toba after hearing the shooting. As a result of the blast, one gunman of Ismael Khan Bugti was killed while three others injured.’

Meanwhile, a previously little-known organisation ‘The Baloch Liberation Tigers (BLT)’ in a statement to media owned the attack.

The BLT’s spokesperson Meeran Baloch informed media outlets in Balochistan that they have attacked the residence Ismael Bugti which was being used as a base camp by a ‘local death squad’. The BTL said it also blew up a vehicle of the same group.

“As a result of the attack seven people including Khawand Bakhsh, Jajjar and Kalo Bugti have died whereas Ismael Bugti and three others have been wounded,” said Meeran Baloch of BLT.

The spokesperson, however, did not clarify if any women and children were killed and whether they were deliberately targeted, or it was a collateral damage.

The BLT in their statement claimed that Ismael Bugti was directly working for Pakistani army and have been involved in the abduction of Baloch women from Zain Koh and Uch areas of Dera Bugti.

Even though Little is known about the Baloch Liberation Tigers (BLT) but if it is a genuine Baloch pro-freedom organisation, independent observers believe such actions which involve killing Baloch women and children will discredit the entire Baloch struggle on the national and international level.

So far, the pro-freedom Baloch political parties and leaders have not reacted to this attack and it is yet to be seen whether they will condemn the killing of women and children in Dera Bugti or not.

However, the Foreign affairs committee organiser of Baloch Student Organisation – Azad, Niaz Zehri,  from London United Kingdom tweeted against the Dera Bugti incident.

“I strongly condemn the killing of innocent children and women in Dera Bugti. Killing of innocent civilians are unjustified,’ Mr Zehri tweeted.