QUETTA, Dec 27: Paramilitary forces on Tuesday seized control of two more camps of Mari tribesmen in Bakar and Peekal on the border of Dera Bugti and Mari tribal agency and recovered a huge cache of weapons. According to sources, paramilitary troops entered the area after helicopter gunships destroyed the camps which were allegedly being used to launch attacks on paramilitary forces in the area.

“Bakar and Peekal are fully in control of the forces,” the sources said. They said a huge quantity of arms and ammunition had been found dumped in secret hideouts established in the mountains.

A heavy contingent of paramilitary troops has been deployed in areas where miscreants’ camps and hideouts had once been located, the sources said.

Sources said paramilitary forces backed by helicopters gunships were continuing the operation in Kohlu district but were facing pockets of resistance.

They said that although some more deaths had been reported in these areas the exact figures were not known yet. They said that the paramilitary forces had sealed off the whole Mari area and were not allowing any of the injured to be moved to hospitals.

Meanwhile, Nawabzada Mir Balach Mari said that security forces had intensified their operation in various areas of Mari tribal agency and had killed innocent people, most of them women and children.

GAS PIPELINE: A pipeline supplying gas to the main purification plant from gas well was blown up in Sui gas field on Tuesday night, officials said.

“An eight inch-piece of the pipeline blew up,” sources said and added that the affected pipeline had caught fire immediately. However, PPL engineers cut off gas supply and controlled the fire. Security forces deployed for protection of the Sui gas plant and gas field have cordoned off the area and started an investigation.

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