House demolitions, raid allegations surface in Balochistan after BLA attacks

Balochistan [Pakistan], February 23 (ANI): Reports emerging from multiple districts of Balochistan suggest that Pakistani military forces have torn down several houses allegedly associated with Baloch separatist militants, while residents have also accused security personnel of conducting raids and seizing valuables during ongoing operations, as reported by The Balochistan Post.
According to details cited by The Balochistan Post from the coastal district of Gwadar, security forces demolished a house owned by a man identified as Mohammad in the Pasni Grani locality.
Local sources informed the publication that the building was entirely razed during the operation, and footage of the demolition was later circulated by Pakistani forces.
The report notes that this marks the second such demolition in the Gwadar district in recent weeks. Previously, on 13 February, a family home in the Panwan area of Gwadar was reportedly brought down with heavy machinery.
The Balochistan Post also stated that comparable actions have been reported from other regions of Balochistan. Earlier this month, security forces allegedly destroyed four houses in Noshki, including the ancestral residence of Bashir Zeb Baloch, identified as the chief of the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA). In a separate incident mentioned by The Balochistan Post from Tump, a house was reportedly demolished using both heavy equipment and explosives.
As per the report, authorities have maintained that the demolished structures were connected to Baloch separatist fighters.
However, several residents and local observers voiced concerns to The Balochistan Post, alleging that civilian homes are being targeted in what they describe as collective punishment.
The Balochistan Post report further indicated a recent surge in raids and detentions carried out by Pakistani forces across various cities in Balochistan. In certain instances, residents claimed that cash and valuable items were taken during search operations.
In Noshki district, security personnel reportedly raided a residence where family members later alleged that gold jewellery belonging to a newlywed couple and nearly 250,000 Pakistani rupees in cash were removed during the search.
In another case highlighted by The Balochistan Post from Gwadar, local sources claimed that a costly watch and approximately 130,000 rupees in cash were taken during a house raid. Residents in Quetta's Sariab Road area similarly reported that valuables went missing from their homes during security searches.
According to The Balochistan Post, these incidents follow coordinated attacks claimed by the BLA on 31 January across several locations in Balochistan, including the provincial capital, Quetta. In response to those attacks, security forces reportedly initiated operations in multiple areas, during which house demolitions and search raids have allegedly been conducted. (ANI)