New Delhi: Baloch separatist groups led by the Baloch Raji Aajoi Sangar (BRAS), in a significant move, have announced a unified military command to counter Pakistan and China in Balochistan.
The declaration came Sunday after a three-day joint meeting between the Baloch and Sindhi separatist groups. The meeting reportedly focused on a complete overhaul of the military and diplomatic strategies of the separatists in the region.
The Baloch Raji Aajoi Sangar (BRAS) is a 2018 coalition of “pro-independence” armed groups in Balochistan. The coalition—formed by the merger of the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), the Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF), and the Baloch Republican Army (BRA)—has now committed to organising itself as the Baloch National Army (BNA).
Baloch insurgent groups carried out 938 attacks in 2024, resulting in over 1,000 deaths, 689 injuries, and significant property damage across 327 areas in 25 districts, according to a report by The Balochistan Post. The numbers marked a 53% increase in attacks and an 80% rise in fatalities compared to 2023.
The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) was the most active, with 302 attacks, leading to over 580 deaths and 370 injuries. The Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) conducted 284 attacks, resulting in 280-plus fatalities. BRAS carried out 204 attacks, causing over 41 deaths.
In a statement Sunday, BRAS spokesperson Baloch Khan revealed the outcomes of the three-day meeting, announcing plans to establish new military committees and departments to consolidate the leadership and activists of its constituent groups under one unified military structure.
“The main objective of this process is to transform the Baloch resistance forces from scattered operations into an organised, coordinated and decisive force, which will prove to be an invincible wall against the enemy,” the statement read.
Soon after the announcement, Rana Sanaullah, a senior leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-N and former federal interior minister, issued a warning Monday about the growing security risks in Balochistan. He cautioned that if security measures are not enhanced, armed groups could “emerge from the mountains” and take control of the region, The Balochistan Post reported.
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A shift in strategy
The new BRAS strategy incorporates modern guerrilla warfare, using technology to infiltrate Pakistani intelligence and conduct attacks with precision.
“A coordinated and systematic plan of action has been drawn up to completely eliminate the enemy’s intelligence superiority, weaken its military positions and target its war equipment, which will be implemented as soon as possible,” the BRAS statement read.
In addition to its military strategy, the separatist groups will focus on “greater resistance” against what it referred to as the “looting of Baloch resources” by Pakistan and China. They plan to escalate the blockade of key highways across Balochistan to disrupt the logistical, economic, and military interests of the Pakistani state and Chinese entities involved in the region’s development.
On the diplomatic front, the groups plan to intensify the campaign to raise the “Baloch national issue” on the international platform. The group will push for global recognition of the “atrocities” committed by Pakistan and China, including the Baloch genocide, enforced disappearances, and military aggression.
BRAS also aims to forge stronger alliances with international human rights organisations, diplomatic institutions, and global powers to gain wider support for its cause.
In its statement, BRAS highlighted the importance of ideological and intellectual training for its fighters, preparing them not only in advanced military techniques but also in understanding the national ideology and the “colonialist tactics of the enemy”.
In conclusion, the BRAS statement reiterated that Baloch national liberation can only be achieved through a united, organised military force.
“History has proven that liberation movements succeed only when they move beyond scattered military operations and unite under an organised military leadership. BRAS is advancing this ideology so that the Baloch national movement can be given an invincible structure that can thwart every conspiracy by the enemy and bring Baloch national liberation closer to reality”.
Formation of BRAS, alliances
The Baloch Raji Aajoi Sangar (BRAS) first came together in 2018, marking a significant shift in the Baloch separatist movement. It was the first alliance among the separatist groups in Balochistan.
The initiative was spearheaded by BLF leader Dr Allah Nazar Baloch, who sought an alliance to pool the resources and forces of various Baloch nationalist groups.
Then, the alliance aimed to strengthen coordination between the groups previously operating isolated in the regions of Balochistan.
The formation of BRAS was seen as a direct response to the challenges posed by the fragmented nature of the Baloch insurgency. The groups believed unification was essential for greater operational effectiveness, particularly against Pakistan’s military presence and Chinese interests in the region.
Since its inception, BRAS has been engaged in several high-profile attacks, including ambushes targeting Pakistani military convoys, suicide bombings, and kidnappings. These operations were primarily aimed at Pakistani military personnel and Chinese workers involved in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects.
BRAS has also had sporadic clashes with other militant groups operating in the region, including Jaish al-Adl, a Sunni jihadist group based in Iran, due to ideological differences.
BRAS’s ideological foundation is rooted in Marxist-leftist nationalism, emphasising securing Balochistan’s independence and preventing exploitation of its natural resources by foreign powers, especially China. The group’s leadership believes that Balochistan’s resources should remain under the control of the Baloch people and not be extracted by external forces.
In 2020, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), part of the Baloch Raji Aajoi Sangar (BRAS) coalition, attacked the Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE). The KSE was a key hub for Chinese economic involvement in Pakistan, particularly after a consortium of Chinese firms in 2017 acquired a 40% equity stake in the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) for $85 million.
While the BLA and other BRAS affiliates mainly operate independently, they collaborated in 2020 on Operation Aas-Rech in which local Baloch groups joined forces to target the Islamist militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba over allegations that Lashkar-e-Taiba received support from Pakistan’s intelligence services, though these claims have remained unverified.
(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)
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