Baloch Nationalist Army (BNA) (Urdu: بلوچ نیشنلسٹ آرمی) is a militant group, fighting for the separation of Balochistan province. The group was formed on January 11, 2022, out of a merger of the Baloch Republican Army (BRA), and the United Baloch Army (UBA). BRA and UBA also announced their dissolution following the establishment of Baloch Nationalist Army.
Background
Baloch Nationalist Army (BNA) is a Baloch nationalist militant umbrella group, which is seeking separation of Balochistan province from Pakistan. It was formed on 11 January 2022 and following its establishment, the Baloch Republican Army (BRA) and United Baloch Army (UBA) announced their dissolution and merger into Baloch Nationalist Army (BNA). BRA and UBA are a militant groups and were responsible for various attacks on civilians, government officials, and Pakistani security forces.
Arrest and Surrender of leader
Arrest
Gulzar Imam The founder and leader of Baloch Nationalist Army was arrested in a high-profile intelligence-based operation by Pakistani Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI) on 7 April 2023. He was considered to be one of the key militant commanders operating in the Makran belt of Balochistan province.
Surrender
On 23 May 2023, Gulzar Imam Shambay surrendered and urged all insurgents operating in the province to surrender and adopt a peaceful life, saying that rights could only be achieved through political and constitutional struggle. "I seek apology from the family members of all those who were martyred during my tenure as an active (BNA) commander," Gulzar Imam alias Shambay the repentant militant commander told the media in captivity. He also said he thoroughly realised that armed struggle is not the solution and only political and constitutional struggle offered solutions to issues related to Balochistan province. Following Gulzar's surrender, Sarfraz Bangulzai alias Merid Baloch was appointed as the new head of the Baloch Nationalist Army (BNA).
Attacks
2022 Lahore Blast
On 20 January 2022, at least three people were killed and over 20 others were injured by a bombing in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. At 1:40pm, a 1.5 kilogram improvised explosive device exploded on a motorcycle parked next to a pushcart outside a bank in a busy market chowk in the Anarkali area of the city. It broke windows of nearby buildings and set fire to several parked motorcycles. The attack was claimed on Twitter by a spokesman for the Baloch Nationalist Army.
The blast in Lahore was strongly condemned by leader of Baloch nationalist groups like Mehran Marri and Brahumdagh Bugti. The condemnation by the leaders of Nationalist group highlighted the clash between the leaders of terrorists groups aboard and by the fighters on ground.
2022 Panjgur and Naushki raids
The 2022 Panjgur and Naushki raids were a series of attacks on the Pakistani Frontier Corps in Balochistan claimed by the Balochistan Nationalist Army (BLA), a newly formed Balochi separatist group with ties to the Balochistan Liberation Army. On February 2, the militants attacked both the Frontier Corps base in Nushki and an outpost in Panjgur District, as part of the insurgency in Balochistan.