Daily Times

QUETTA: Banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) commander Aslam Achou alias Merick Baloch was among eight militants killed in an exchange of fire with security forces in Sangan area of Sibi district.

Two personnel of security forces also embraced martyrdom during the gun-battle. Addressing a news conference here at Chief Minister Secretariat Wednesday night, spokesman for the Balochistan government Anwarul Haque Kakar confirmed the killing of militants, including the BLA commander. “The exchange of fire between the security forces and the militants continued for several hours which resulted in killing of eight militants, including their commander,” he said. He said the BLA commander Aslam Achou alias Merick Baloch was an Afghan Tajik.

The security forces had taken his body into custody. He said Aslam Achou also worked as a spokesman of the banned militant organisation. He was involved in the killing of several civilians and security personnel, kidnapping for ransom and extortion. “Two personnel of Frontier Corps Balochistan also embraced martyrdom,” he said. Plans are in place to bring the “wanted heads” of Baloch militant outfits back to pursue cases of terrorism against them pending in the country to end the remaining insurgency in the troubled province, media reports have said. At the moment two major Baloch militant commanders are operating from foreign soil – Brahamdagh Bugti, chief of Baloch Republican Army (BRA) and Harbiyar Marri, head of Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA). Both these militant outfits are banded and have been placed in the list of 61 terrorist organisations by Interior Ministry.

Bugti is in self-exile in Switzerland and making efforts to get an asylum there. State security agencies reportedly have shared some information with the Swiss authorities establishing BRA chief’s connection to insurgent actions in Balochistan. Harbiyar Marri, who was in self-exile in London, reached India sometime back.