Refuting Pakistan's Claims, Baloch Armed Group Takes Responsibility For Downing Army Helicopter

Baloch Raaji Aajoi Sangar an umbrella organization of Baloch armed groups claimed responsibility for targeting and downing the low-flying military helicopter in the mountainous areas of Balochistan. 

Representative Photo

New Delhi: The wreckage of a military helicopter that went missing on Monday night carrying senior military officers was found and the death of at least six officers and crew members was confirmed by Pakistan military media wing on Tuesday. However, the claim by the Pakistan military was countered with a claim by an umbrella organization of Baloch separatist armed groups. 

Baloch Raaji Aajoi Sangar (BRAS), an umbrella organization of Baloch armed groups claimed responsibility for targeting and downing the low-flying military helicopter in the mountainous areas of Windar and Noorani in Balochistan. 

“Freedom fighters of BRAS targeted a low flying helicopter of Pakistan military. The targeted helicopter crashed near Moosa Goth in Dareji”, claimed the spokesperson of BRAS Baloch Khan. 

“In the attack, carried out with anti-aircraft guns, the helicopter was badly damaged and later completely destroyed. All six enemy personnel on board the flight were killed in the attack. They included Core Commander 12 Core Lieutenant General Sarfaraz Ali, Director General Coast Guard Major General Amjad, Brigadier Khalid, pilot Major Saeed, co-pilot Talha and crew chief Naik Muddasir”, the statement by BRAS added. 

The BRAS claim comes at a time when Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of Pakistan armed forces stated that all six members of the flight, including senior military officers, who were on board the Mi-17 helicopter of the Army Aviation, crashed while supervising the flood relief operations in Balochistan. 

“The wreckage of the unfortunate helicopter which was on flood relief operations has been found in Musa Goth, Windar, Lasbela district of Balochistan”, stated ISPR spokesperson Major General Babar Iftikhar. 

“As per initial investigation, the accident occurred due to bad weather”, ISPR added. 

However, BRAS spokesperson claims that the helicopter was targeted by its fighters, adding that Lieutenant General Sarfaraz Ali, who had remained Director General of Military Intelligence and Inspector General of Frontier Corps South of Balochistan, was directly involved in enforced disappearances and the Baloch genocide. 

“Baloch Raaji Aajoi Sangar (BRAS) will continue to carry lethal attacks against the enemy (Pakistan army) until the full withdrawal of the enemy forces and the liberation of Baloch motherland”, the statement of BRAS added. 

It is pertinent to mention that BRAS aka Baloch Nation Liberation Coalition is the umbrella organization of at least four ethnic Baloch separatist groups in Balochistan and the Sindh province in Pakistan. 

BRAS was created in November 2018 and made fast progress as in 2020, a Sindhi separatist group Sundhudesh Revolutionary Army (SRA) joined in with the BRAS alliance, joining with Baloch Liberation Front (BLF), Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), Baloch Republication Guard and the Baloch Republican Army. 

One of the focuses of the BRAS and SRA alliance was to target the Chinese presence and interests in Balochistan and the Sindh province. 

The latest claim of BRAS, however, contradicts the claims of ISPR but certainly raises many questions over the truth behind the whole episode, which is claimed to be an accident due to bad weather by Pakistan’s ISPR and is also claimed to be done by Baloch separatist militants.