QUETTA: Four policemen were martyred after an intense gun battle with terrorists in the Killi Spin area of Kuchlak on Tuesday.

A heavy contingent of the police’s Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), along with the Frontier Corps, had cordoned off a suspected compound on the tip about the presence of militants involved in Sunday’s attack on a police convoy.

The alleged militants resorted to indiscriminate firing using automatic weapons, resulting in the martyrdom of four CTD personnel, Quetta SSP Opera­tions retired Captain Zohaib Mohsin said.

One alleged terrorist was also killed during the operation, SSP Mohsin said, adding that he was involved in the killing of two police and FC personnel.

Security forces tippped off about presence of terrorists

Sources added that acco­mplices of the deceased militant managed to escape during the operation.

Arms and ammunition were also recovered from the suspected terrorist, officials claimed.

The martyred cops were identified as Javed Ahmed, Changeez, Ali Akbar and Faiz Muhammad. Their funeral prayers were held at Quetta Police Lines attended by Balochistan police chief Abdul Khaliq Sheikh, Frontier Corps IG Major General Amir Ajmal Chaudhry, senior military and police officers and a large number of people.

The Balochistan governor, chief minister and home minister expressed grief and sorrow over the martyrdom of the police personnel.

“They are heroes of the nation and will always be remembered,” Chief Minister Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo said.

He said that the terrorists who were involved in the terror act would be brought to justice soon.

On Sunday, two cops, belonging to the police’s Eagle Squad, were martyred when unknown assailants opened fire in Killi Spine while they were on a routine patrol.

The attack also left one cop injured while one of the assailants was killed and the other managed to escape as cops returned fire. Since then, this is the third attack, in as many days, that resulted in the casualties of policemen.

On Monday, at least four people, including two constables, were martyred in an attack targeting a top police officer in Quetta. The terrorist had left an explosive-laden motorcycle by the vehicle of SP Investigation Naseer Shah parked at the Kandahari Bazaar. Although the SP survived the attack, the two cops part of his security detail embraced martyrdom along with two passersby. The four victims were identified as Shamim Abbasi, Mohammad Sho­aib, Hakmitullah and 12-year-old Kalsoom Bibi.

The banned Baloch Liber­ation Army claimed responsibility for the attack.

Published in Dawn, April 12th, 2023