Alleged Air Strikes Amplify Crisis in Balochistan

The Baloch Yajehti Committee (BYC) has made serious allegations against the Pakistani military, claiming that air strikes carried out by the country's military aircraft and drones have targeted civilian homes in Zehri, Khuzdar district of Balochistan. According to BYC, the attack, which occurred at 8 pm on September 17, resulted in the deaths of three people and injuries to five others, including a child and two elderly men.

BYC described the use of fighter jets and drones against civilian populations as a blatant violation of international humanitarian law. The organisation revealed that, in the last two months, Zehri has seen at least three incidents of aerial bombardment, suggesting a worrying pattern of aggression by Pakistani forces.

The Committee expressed further concerns that drones remained over the area post-strike, worsening the trauma and fear among residents. They assert that the military's media arm, ISPR, labelled the victims as insurgents, a 'narrative' frequently used to excuse state atrocities against the Baloch community.

Furthermore, the organisation highlighted that a prolonged internet blackout in Khuzdar district, along with restrictions on independent media, is concealing the scale of the humanitarian crisis from the world. This communication silence, they claim, allows Pakistani forces to commit such acts unchecked, drowning out the voices of those affected.

BYC denounced this systematic targeting of civilians as a war crime and a facet of what they describe as a larger campaign of genocide against the Baloch people.

(With inputs from agencies.)