• Militant shot dead in Zhob; cops among several injured in Quetta attacks
• PM pays tribute to security forces

QUETTA: Six security personnel, including a captain, embraced martyrdom while at least 17 people suffered injuries in different incidents of terrorism across Balochistan on Sunday.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), a clearance operation was underway in Kahan after an explosive device targeted security forces.

The military’s media wing said that an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) went off close to the leading party of the security forces. Cap­tain Fahad, Lance Naik Imtiaz and sepoys Asghar, Mehran and Shamoon were martyred in the blast.

The statement further said that the sanitisation operation continued in the area to apprehend the suspects involved in the attack.

In another statement, the ISPR said that an operation against militants in the Sambaza area of Zhob left one security man martyred. One terrorist was killed, while two personnel were injured.

ISPR said the forces had started an operation in Sambaza on the basis of intelligence reports to deny militants the use of suspected routes to move across the “Pakistan-Afghanistan border to sneak into KP along the interprovincial boundary and target citizens and security forces”.

A group of the terrorists was intercepted in the early hours of Sunday, it said, adding, “during the establishing of blocking positions to deny them escape routes, terrorists opened fire on the security forces”.

As a result of a shootout, one terrorist was killed while Sepoy Haq Nawaz embraced martyrdom and two other soldiers got injured.

“The terrorists were supported by their facilitators from across the border as well through firing,” the statement added.

Attacks in Quetta, Hub, Kalat

More than one dozen people, including three policemen, were injured in different attacks in the capital of Balochistan. In a grenade attack on Sabzal Road on the outskirts of Quetta, at least four people, including two teenage girls, were injured.

The wounded were identified as Muhammad Qayyum, 25; Zubair Ahmed, 25; Kaynat Bibi, 17; and Bibi Ewa, 13. They were moved to Civil Hospital.

Police said that the grenade blast took place near Amir Dasti police station. Officials said that unknown people hurled the grenade and escaped. Police added that an improvised explosive device recovered from the area was defused.

In a grenade attack on a police check-post in Satellite Town, at least eight people, including three police officials, received injuries.

“We have received 12 injured [including four injured in the Sabzal Road attack] who had been hurt due to splinters of the hand grenades,” Dr Wasim Baig, spokesman of the Provincial Sandeman Civil Hospital told Dawn.

Another attack in Quetta targeted an FC post on Sariab Road. Police said unknown motorcyclists hurled a grenade that exploded some distance from the check post. “No casualty was reported in the blast,” they added.

Meanwhile, in Hub, an explosion in the evening injured three persons. Police said the bomb went off outside the Saddar police station in Hub.

“We are investigating the blast,” Dostain Dashti, SSP Hub told Dawn. He added the nature of the blast could not be ascertained. The injured were shifted to Jam Ghulam Qadir Memorial Hospital.

In Khuzdar, a police vehicle came under a grenade attack in the heart of the town. The police vehicle was damaged but fortunately, there were no casualties, Fahad Khosa, SSP Khuzdar said.

In Kalat and Turbat, security forces were attacked in separate incidents. However, no loss of life or injuries were reported as a result of these attacks.

Condemnations

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo strongly condemned terrorism incidents in the province.

PM Sharif paid tribute to Sepoy Haq Nawaz who was martyred in Zhob. In a statement, he lauded the security forces for their “effective operation against the terrorists”, state-run APP added.

In response to the Quetta attack, the Balochistan CM instructed the Inspector General Police (IGP) to take measures to ensure the protection of the lives and property of common citizens.

He also sought a report after the conclusion of the investigation into these attacks.

Abdul Wahid Shahwani in Khuzdar and Behram Baloch in Gwadar also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, December 26th, 2022