Balochistan, Jan. 31 -- Reports of armed confrontations, blasts and assaults on security facilities surfaced from several districts of Balochistan early Saturday, soon after the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) declared it had initiated the second phase of "Operation Herof", according to a report by The Balochistan Post (TBP).

The outfit had earlier stated briefly that the new phase was being launched to "protect the motherland." Residents described the security environment as extremely tense in Quetta, Nushki, Kalat, Mastung, Dalbandin, Kharan, Gwadar, Pasni, Tump, Buleda and Dhadar, with reports of intense gunfire, explosions and assaults on police and military locations, TBP reported.

In Quetta, residents reported firing and explosions i...