Nine police officers, including two SHOs, martyred in Balochistan terrorist attack

At least nine police officers, including two station house officers (SHOs), were martyred on Tuesday in an attack by terrorists affiliated with Fitna al-Khawarij in the Kach Mangi Phase III area of the tourist district of Ziarat in Balochistan, officials said. According to Ziarat Superintendent of Police (SP) Abdul Qadoos Dehwar, the terrorists targeted police personnel deployed on duty in Kach Mangi Phase III. Following the attack, security forces, police and other law enforcement agencies carried out a joint clearance operation in which 15 terrorists were killed. Fitna-al Khawarij is a term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Those martyred included SHO Mangi Muhammad Hussain, SHO Kawas Sohbat Khan, Anti-Terrorist Force (ATF) in-charge Head Constable Saifullah and other police personnel. Police and the terrorists exchanged heavy gunfire for several hours after the attack. The bodies of the deceased have been shifted to the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital in Ziarat for legal formalities and post-mortem examinations. SP Dehwar said the terrorists abducted several residents along with police personnel after the attack, adding that five of the abducted civilians later managed to escape. Balochistan Chief Minister's Adviser Shahid Rind said security forces, police and other law enforcement agencies had completed a joint clearance operation against the terrorists in Ziarat, during which 15 terrorists were killed. Read: Quetta protesters block Airport Road after deadly Hanna Urak clash kills four Rind said the terrorists had paid a heavy price for attempting to undermine peace in Balochistan and that the state was responding to terrorism with full force. He said there would be no safe havens for terrorists in Balochistan and that every attack would be met with a strong and decisive response, while intelligence-based operations (IBOs) would continue more effectively. He added that those challenging the writ of the state would be brought to justice and that there would be no compromise on peace, stability and the protection of the people of Balochistan. According to Rind, the nine police personnel martyred in the attack included SHO Mangi, SHO Kawas, Anti-Terrorist Force (ATF) in-charge Head Constable Saifullah and other police personnel. He added that Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Ghulam Sarwar and eight police personnel safely reached Kach police station after travelling through difficult mountainous terrain, while Constable Rizwan was also rescued safely. Meanwhile, residents of Ziarat staged a protest against the incident by blocking the national highway at Ziarat Cross to all traffic, disrupting movement and causing long queues of vehicles. Authorities said search and IBOs were continuing in the area and that action against facilitators of the terrorists had also been intensified. Earlier on Monday, protesters continued to block Quetta's Airport Road outside BA Mall after a deadly armed clash in the Hanna Urak area left four men dead and several others injured, demanding the immediate arrest of those responsible and stronger security measures. The demonstrators placed the body of the deceased on the road and staged a sit-in, which is still going on, disrupting traffic on one of the city's busiest routes. They insisted they would continue their protest until authorities took concrete action against the attackers.

from Latest News, Breaking News & Top News Stories | The Express Tribune https://ift.tt/TjicSfw