CTD says slain militant in Karachi raid was BLA commander

The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) has claimed that one of the four militants killed during an operation in Karachi’s Shah Latif Town, Malir, on March 17 was a commander of the banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA).

According to CTD officials, the operation was launched after intelligence gathered from previously arrested militants led authorities to a suspected hideout in the area. When security personnel surrounded the location, an exchange of fire took place, during which four wanted militants were killed.

Officials said three of the dead militants were identified immediately after the operation, while the identity of the fourth was confirmed later through intelligence-based investigation.

The CTD identified the fourth militant as Suhail Baloch, alias Garak, who it said was the commander of the banned BLA’s Al-Fateh Squad. Authorities described him as a notorious militant and alleged that he had earlier been associated with the Baloch Liberation Front before joining the BLA in 2022.

CTD officials said that after joining the BLA, Suhail Baloch remained active in the group and operated in a command role.

The department has presented the operation as a major success against the banned outfit in Karachi. No further details were immediately released about the other militants killed in the encounter.