Nine police personnel, including senior officers, were martyred during a night-long gunbattle with terrorists in Balochistan’s Ziarat district. The attack took place in the Kuchh Maangi Phase III area and continued throughout Monday night.
According to local officials, security forces exchanged heavy fire with the attackers during the operation. The bodies of the martyred officers were later shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital.
Ziarat Deputy Commissioner Abdul Qudoos Achakzai confirmed the incident was a terrorist attack. He said the assault occurred in the Mangi Dam area.
Search Continues for Missing Policemen
The deputy commissioner said nine policemen, including two senior officers, embraced martyrdom during the attack. Meanwhile, the whereabouts of five policemen remain unknown.
Authorities have dispatched additional security personnel to the area. Consequently, search and clearance operations are continuing.
The latest attack follows several recent terrorist incidents targeting police in Balochistan. Last month, armed men attacked police installations in Qila Abdullah, Pishin, and Duki districts.
Interior Minister Condemns Attack
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi strongly condemned the attack on the police. In a statement, he paid tribute to the martyred officers and expressed condolences to their families.
He said the sacrifices of the fallen personnel would always be remembered. Furthermore, he stated that such attacks could not undermine the country’s resolve to maintain peace.
Meanwhile, recent data from the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies showed an overall decline in anti-state violence during June. The organization reported that terrorist attacks in Balochistan fell from 71 in May to 49 in June despite several high-profile incidents.
