The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) on Sunday issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Pakistani government for a prisoner swap, in what it called the "second phase of Operation Herof".
This comes after the BLA released 10 of the 17 Pakistan Army soldiers that it had allegedly detained, promising to release the remaining seven in exchange for Baloch prisoners.
Notably, the 10 released prisoners have been identified as ethnic Baloch men who were working in Islamabad's police forces and were freed after being “warned", while the remaining seven were "members of regular units of the Pakistan Army", according to Hakkal (the BLA's media wing) spokesperson Jeeyand Baloch.
The BLA's hostages were tried in a Baloch National Court, where they were put on trial for various allegations levelled by the Baloch people against the Pakistan government. This includes involvement in actions against civilians and the genocide of the Baloch people.
"During the hearing, the men were allowed to respond to the allegations, evidence was presented, and statements were recorded before a guilty verdict was delivered,” the statement added, as per an ANI report.
The Pakistan government is yet to respond, despite the BLA warning that the hostages would receive a "court sentence" after seven days of inaction.
The Shehbaz Sharif-led Pakistan administration also killed at least 37 people in the clashes that followed, which are said to be part two of the BLA's 'Operation Herof'. #PakistanNews
— THE WEEK (@TheWeekLive) January 31, 2026
(baloch liberation army, شہباز شریف, بلوچستان, बलूचिस्तान)https://t.co/tyXCdKrSs8
The second phase of Operation Herof has been reportedly active over the past few weeks, which have seen intense violence in various parts of Balochistan—Pakistan's largest province—such as the capital Quetta, Nushki, Dalbandin, Pasni, and Gwadar.
Earlier this month, the Pakistan Army even claimed that it had killed more than 200 BLA fighters in targeted offensives under Operation Radd Ul Fitna 1. They claimed that the week-long operation from January 29 killed 216 fighters after storming schools, banks, markets and military installations across the region.
On the other hand, it had also said that 22 army and police personnel were killed by the BLA, excluding the deaths of 36 civilians.
