Security sources say ‘missing persons’ were militants killed in Balochistan

QUETTA: Security forces thwarted a series of militant attacks in Balochistan on January 31 through timely operations, killing several suspected militants, security sources said. According to the sources, two militants, Burhan Baloch and Hafeez Baloch, were killed in an operation in Mastung. The individuals were reportedly listed by the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) among what it describes as “missing persons.”

The sources added that two other militants, Abdul Hameed and Rashid Baloch, who were also included in the BYC’s list of missing persons, were killed during the same operation.

Security officials said this was not the first instance in which militants killed during security operations were found to have been listed as missing. They cited earlier cases, including Sohaib Lango, who was also reportedly named in the BYC’s list.

According to security sources, Karim Jan, a militant killed during the March 2024 attack in Gwadar, and Abdul Wadood, who was killed in an attack on a naval base, were likewise included in the list of alleged missing persons.

Defence analysts quoted by the sources said the narrative of enforced disappearances was being used to provide justification for militant activity and to influence public sentiment. They alleged that militant groups exploit the emotions of young people to recruit them for violent activities.

The analysts further claimed that the Baloch Yakjehti Committee receives backing from foreign intelligence agencies and organisations operating under the banner of human rights, allegations that could not be independently verified.