Nine police personnel were martyred after heavily armed militants attacked a police checkpoint in Balochistan’s Ziarat district, officials said on Tuesday. Security forces later killed 15 terrorists during a clearance operation launched in the area. The attack marked one of the deadliest assaults on police in recent months.
According to Ziarat District Police Officer Abdul Qadoos, the attackers stormed the police checkpoint in the Mangi area, triggering an intense exchange of gunfire. The bodies of the martyred officers were shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital. He said the assailants also took five police personnel hostage, and efforts were immediately launched to secure their safe recovery.
Read more: Nine policemen martyred as forces eliminate 15 terrorists in Ziarat
Later, Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind said security forces, including the Frontier Corps, Police, Counter Terrorism Department, Special Operations Wing and Anti-Terrorism Force, completed a successful clearance operation. He said 15 terrorists belonging to Fitna al-Khawarij were killed during the operation. Rind added that Deputy Superintendent of Police Ghulam Sarwar and eight other officers safely reached Kach Police Station, while Constable Rizwan was also rescued safely.
Rind said those martyred included the station house officers of Mangi and Kowas police stations, the Anti-Terrorism Force in-charge and several other police officials. He vowed that terrorists would find no safe haven in Balochistan. He added that intelligence-based operations against militant groups would continue across the province.
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Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi strongly condemned the attack and paid tribute to the nine martyred police personnel. He expressed condolences to the bereaved families and said the sacrifices of security personnel would never be forgotten. He added that such attacks would not succeed in undermining peace and stability in Pakistan.