At least nine police officers, including two Station House Officers (SHOs), were martyred on Tuesday in an attack by terrorists affiliated with Fitna al-Khawarij in the Kach Mangi Phase III area of the tourist district of Ziarat in Balochistan, police said.
According to Ziarat Superintendent of Police (SP) Abdul Qadoos Dehwar, the terrorists targeted police personnel deployed on duty in Kach Mangi Phase III. Following the attack, security forces, police and other law enforcement agencies carried out a joint clearance operation in which 15 terrorists were killed.
Those martyred included SHO Mangi Muhammad Hussain, SHO Kawas Sohbat Khan, Anti-Terrorist Force (ATF) in-charge Head Constable Saifullah and other police personnel. Police and the terrorists exchanged heavy gunfire for several hours after the attack.
Balochistan Chief Minister’s spokesperson, Shahid Rind, said the operation in the Kuch Mangi Phase-III area was carried out jointly by the Frontier Corps (FC), Balochistan Police, the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), the Special Operations Wing, and the Anti-Terrorism Force (ATF).
He said the operation was aimed to clear the area of terrorists and locate police personnel who had gone missing after the attack.
He added that Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Ghulam Sarwar and eight other police personnel who had gone missing after the attack safely reached Kach Police Station after navigating difficult mountainous terrain. Another missing constable, Rizwan, was also recovered safely.
Rind paid tribute to the fallen personnel and reaffirmed the Balochistan government’s resolve to continue anti-terror operations until militancy is completely eradicated from the province.
Meanwhile, two children were killed and another sustained injuries in a toy bomb explosion in the Saryab area of Quetta, TV channels reported on Tuesday.
Initial reports stated that the children were playing with what appeared to be a toy when it suddenly exploded with a loud blast. As a result, two children died on the spot. One child was also injured in the same incident.
Rescue team shifted the bodies and the injured child to a nearby hospital for legal formalities and treatment.
Law enforcement authorities have launched an investigation to determine the nature of the explosive device and the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack by terrorists in Ziarat. He also paid tribute to the police personnel martyredin the attack and prayed for elevation of their ranks in paradise.
The premier paid tribute to the security forces for killing 15 terrorists as well.
Separately, a major terrorist plot was foiled in Karachi after the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) arrested two militants linked to the banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), officials said on Tuesday.
According to CTD officials, the arrested millitants have been identified as Mujahid Baloch and Farid Baloch alias Zakir Bin. Investigators said both men had received training at BLA camps, where they were instructed in reconnaissance and communications.
Officials said that the ‘trained BLA terrorists’ had been operating in Karachi under the direction of BLA commanders Sajid Baloch and Bashir Zaib. They were gathering intelligence on sensitive installations and passing the information to the militant group.
The CTD further said that the terrorists were actively working to establish a network targeting sensitive government facilities and law enforcement agencies in the city.
During the operation, authorities recovered four kilograms of explosive material, a detonator, a primer cord, and ball bearings, which officials said could be used in the assembly of improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
A case has been registered against the arrested militants at a CTD police station, while further investigations are underway.