By Our Correspondent
QUETTA: At least nine police personnel, including two station house officers (SHOs), were martyred after heavily armed militants attacked a police post in Balochistan’s Ziarat district late Monday night, prompting a large-scale security operation in which authorities said 15 attackers were killed.
According to officials, the attack took place in the Mangi Dam area of Ziarat district when a group of armed militants stormed a police post. Police personnel engaged the attackers in an intense exchange of fire before the militants managed to enter the compound.
Ziarat Deputy Commissioner Abdul Qudoos Achakzai confirmed that nine policemen had embraced martyrdom in the attack. He also said the whereabouts of five police officials remained unknown, while additional security personnel had been deployed and a search operation was underway to locate the missing officers.
Balochistan government’s spokesman for media and political affairs Shahid Rind said the martyred officers included the SHOs of Mangi and Kawas police stations, as well as Anti-Terrorist Force (ATF) In-charge Head Constable Saifullah.
Clearance operation kills 15 militants
Following the attack, security forces launched a joint clearance operation in the area.
Shahid Rind said the operation had been completed successfully and 15 militants belonging to what the state describes as Fitna al Khawarij were killed.
The term Fitna al Khawarij is used by the Pakistani state to refer to members of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
“The terrorists paid a heavy price for attempting to disturb peace in Balochistan,” Rind said, adding that there would be no safe havens for militants and that intelligence-based operations would continue across the province.
He reiterated the provincial government’s commitment to maintaining peace and bringing those challenging the state’s authority to justice.
Highway blocked in protest
Following the attack, residents blocked the Quetta-Ziarat Highway and staged a sit-in protest, disrupting traffic on the main Quetta-Zhob Highway.
A large number of passenger buses, trucks and other vehicles remained stranded on both sides of the road.
Leaders condemn attack
President Asif Ali Zardari strongly condemned the terrorist attack and paid tribute to the police personnel who lost their lives while performing their duties.
He said the state would continue operations against terrorism with full force and vowed to defeat all attempts aimed at destabilising Balochistan.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also condemned the attack and honoured the martyred police officers. According to state broadcaster PTV, he said the sacrifices of the fallen personnel would not go in vain and reaffirmed the government’s resolve to eliminate terrorism.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi praised the police and security forces for killing 15 militants during the operation and said the country remained determined to defeat terrorism.
Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti described the fallen police personnel as heroes who had displayed extraordinary courage and sacrifice in defending the state.
Security situation
The latest attack comes amid continuing security challenges in Balochistan.
Last month, unidentified militants attacked police installations in Qila Abdullah, Pishin and Duki districts, leaving one policeman martyred and two others injured.
In April, another police head constable was martyred in an attack on a checkpoint in Huramzai, Pishin district.
Despite these incidents, the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) reported that overall militant violence declined during June.
According to PICSS, Balochistan recorded 49 militant attacks in June, down from 71 attacks in May, representing a 31 per cent decrease in terrorism-related incidents across the province.
