LAHORE - Foreign-funded Baloch rebels and banned religious outfits have been assisting each other for launching terror operations in Balochistan, security agencies sources told The Nation yesterday.
In some cases, one brother is heading a Baloch separatist gang while the other is leading religious extremist group, sources in security agencies said.
Abdul Nabi Bangulzai is leading United Baloch Army (UBA) and his brother Farooq Bangulzai is heading Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) in Balochistan. Both the groups assist each other in launching terror attacks, revealed the security agencies sources.
The UBA was founded by Mehran Marri, the brother of Harbiyar Marri, to back his elder brother for terrorism. The duo is in self-exile in Germany and India.
Similarly, Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) led by Harbiyar Marri and Baloch Republican Army (BRA) headed by Brahamdagh Bugti are also found connected with terror groups like LeJ and Jandullah for assisting each other and sometimes launching joint terror attacks, they added.
“There are no ideologies among the members of the criminal enterprise. One is exploiting the slogan of Baloch rights while the other is doing the same in the name of religion,” an official of a key intelligence agency said.
“It is Indian RAW and Afghan NDS connection but some other western intelligence services hostile to CPEC are also playing their part to destabilise Balochistan. The hostile intelligence services launch the operations from neighbouring Kandahar, Spin Boldak and Helmand,” they added.
Revealing the ‘threat profile’, they said Baloch Liberation Army, Baloch Liberation Front, Baloch Republican Army, United Baloch Army, Lashkar-e-Balochistan, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, Jaishul Adal, Jaishul Nasr, Jandullah and Jasihul Islam are under the radar in Balochistan.
Many of the top leaders of these terror outfits have been eliminated and efforts are underway to purge the province of their commanders and sleeper cells.
So far, Baloch separatist outfits and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi are among the key troublemakers, they added.
About Jamatul Ahrar, a splinter of TTP, that claimed the responsibility of attack on lawyers in Quetta, they said the key terror operatives claim the responsibility of an attack in the name of other outfit to avert immediate crackdown on their sympathisers.
“Daesh also claimed the responsibility for Quetta attack on lawyers but there is no command and operational structure of Jamatul Ahrar or Daesh in Balochistan. It is Lashkar-e-Jhangvi which has commanders and sleeper units in Balochistan of which many have been eliminated.”
Saif Ullah Kurd the operational head of LeJ Balochistan is one example, who was eliminated in an intelligence-led operation in the suburbs of Quetta. So far links to Quetta attack on lawyers lead to LeJ, it is revealed.
According to Balochistan Home Minister Sarfaraz Bugti, banned outfits assist each other in launching terror attacks.
Many of the Baloch separatist commanders have surrendered to the authorities under Pur Aman Balochistan Plan and the process continues. At the same time militants belonging to religious extremist groups have either eliminated or surrendered and arrested, he added.