Friday, December 23, 2005

Iran Hand in New Baluch Uprising

The Public Affairs Magazine:
The week-long violence in Baluchistan where the Pakistan military has been bombing and fighting rebellious Marri tribesmen is being blamed on Iranian intelligence and their Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The violence began on Sunday when tribesmen fired rockets in Baluchistan’s Kohlu district during a visit by General Parvez Musharraf, and it has since flared up into full-scope insurgency against the Pakistan military, and assets have been targeted like oil and gas fields, rail lines, and power grids.

Diplomatic sources said that Pakistan has shown evidence of Iranian involvement to the US, while Iran has claimed to have shot down six US drones flying from Pakistani territory. READ MORE

In the Seventies, thousands were killed in large-scale military operations against insurgent Baluch tribesmen, and the present upsurge coincides with the army’s decision to establish more garrisons in the troubled province, which has long demanded greater autonomy and more share of the revenue from its natural resources.