Peace Like A River: Air strikes in Balochistan

The Government of Balochistan in Exile blog has this report today:

The Pakistani armed forces have once again targeted Baloch civilian population. Last week on Thursday, one F-16 fighter jet bombed a Baloch nomad’s tent and killed two women and two children in the Gazital area, 20 Km east of Kahan in occupied Balochistan on Wednesday.

According to sources, the F-16 fighter jet used MK-82, 500 lbs. bombs to target a tent where the family of Savzali Marri was having a meal; one woman and her 7-year-old son were killed instantly. They were blown up into pieces and very little remained of them.

Two other members of Marri’s family, a woman and her 3-year-old daughter, were away at a distance, and bomb shrapnel critically injured them both. Due to total blockade imposed by the Pakistani military regime in the Marri and Bugti tribal areas of occupied Balochistan, there were no medicine, medical facilities or doctors available to treat the injuries sustained by the victims. Due to heavy bleeding and major internal injuries, both mother and daughter succumb to their injuries and died a few hours later.

A report by B. Raman at the South Asia Analysis Group said this about the use of air power by Pakistan in Balochistan:

Even six months after President General Pervez Musharraf ordered his Army and the Air Force to suppress the freedom struggle launched by the Baloch nationalist elements, the freedom struggle continues to gather strength with no sign of any impact on the freedom-fighters despite the large-scale use of heavy weapons and air strikes. Their motivation and determination to achieve independence remain as strong as ever. There has been a steady flow of volunteers to the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and other groups carrying on the freedom struggle and the military operations have not been able to disrupt the training of the new volunteers by these organisations in the liberated pockets set up by them.
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In the face of international concern over the large number of civilian casualties due to the military operations, the Pakistani military had suspended the use of Air Force planes and helicopter gunships for a while. Helicopters were used only for logistics purposes and not for strikes directed against the freedom-fighters. But for the last few days, the use of air strikes has been resumed and over eight helicopter gunships have been going into action against the freedom-fighters resulting in many casualties. Air strikes have been directed against not only the armed freedom-fighters, but also against villagers suspected of assisting them. While the air strikes have been taking place in many parts of the province, they have been particularly concentrated in the areas inhabited by the Bugti, Marri and Mengal tribes. The freedom-fighters have claimed to have shot down two helicopters, but the shooting down of only one has so far been confirmed.