Five police, levies personnel among 10 killed in armed attack in Kalat
QUETTA, August 26 (SABAH): Ten people, including police and levies personnel, were killed in an armed attack in Kalat district of Balochistan on Sunday night.
Kalat SSP Dostin Dashti reported that gunmen exchanged fire with law-enforcement agencies throughout the night on the national highway and within the city.
The casualties included one police sub-inspector, four levies personnel, and five civilians, he added.
Dashti stated that after the gunfire, the attackers managed to escape. Efforts were going on to clear and secure the area, he added.
Police stepped up security in the area and enhanced checking of vehicles and motorists.
Meanwhile, Kalat Assistant Commissioner Aftab Ahmed and a Levies man have also been injured in the firing. Levies authorities said the wounded security personnel was admitted to a hospital.
While, Kalat Commissioner Naeem Bazai said condition of Ahmed was out of danger.
In a separate terrorist attack, a railway bridge was blown up in Bolan’s Dozan area, said police. Following which, they said, local administration and railway authorities reached the incident’s site.
Pakistan Railways said the railway service between Punjab and Sindh was suspended after destruction of the bridge.
Railway authorities said track in Mastung and Sheikh Wasil areas were also destroyed through explosions, following which the goods train from Quetta to Taftan was also cancelled.
On the other hand, Bolan Mail and Jaffer Express could not leave from Quetta for Karachi and Rawalpindi, respectively, as train operation was suspended after the railway bridge explosion, they said.
Moreover, trains coming to Quetta from Sindh and Punjab were also stopped at different points, the authorities said. Bolan Mail coming from Karachi was stopped at Larkana station and a train coming from Rawalpindi was stopped in Sukkur, they added.
In view of the multiple terrorist attacks, Balochistan Government Spokesperson Shahid Rind said Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti had convened an important huddle.
He said the terrorists struck two to three sites during the last night, including the incident wherein some passengers were identified and dislodged from vehicles.
“It will take some time to repair the affected railway bridge,” he said, raising suspicion that the bridge was apparently blown up with the help of an explosive device.
Meanwhile, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said four bodies of unidentified persons were found in Kolpur area of Bolan.
Meanwhile security forces and law-enforcement agencies killed 12 terrorists and injured several others in operations in various parts of Balochistan.
Security sources said terrorists launched cowardly attacks at multiple locations in Balochistan on the night between Aug 24 and 25.
They stated that security forces and law-enforcement agencies effectively responded to the attacks and eliminated 12 terrorists.
Twelve terrorists have so far been neutralised and many others left injured as security forces responded to attacks carried out at several places across Balochistan, official media reported on Monday.
“In Balochistan, terrorists have carried out cowardly attacks at several places,” the report said, without specifying the locations of the attacks.
“Security forces and law enforcement agencies responded effectively to these attacks,” official media said, adding that the operation would continue until the terrorists were eliminated.
The development comes after armed men attacked Levies and police stations in Mastung, Kalat, Pasni and Suntsar late on Sunday night.
Reports of blasts and grenade attacks were also received from Sibi, Panjgur, Mastung, Turbat, Bela, and Quetta. Officials said armed men blew up a railway track linking Pakistan with Iran at the bypass area of Mastung.
Later, the banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attacks.