Balochistan violence: Two policemen among four killed in shootout

Father, son gunned down in a separate incident.

QUETTA:

Two policemen were killed after a pre-dawn attack on a police check post in the Chattar area of Naseerabad on Friday. Two of the attackers were also reported killed in the fighting.

According to police officials, armed men opened fire at a police check post near the Pat Feeder area and later ambushed a police patrol within the limits of Mir Hassan police station.

“Two police personnel and two of the attackers were killed, while another attacker was injured,” District Police Officer (DPO) Saadullah Khetran said.  The deceased were identified as Assistant Sub Inspector Wazir Ali Abro and Constable of the Balochistan Constabulary Rab Nawaz.

“Two assailants who were killed in the shootout have been identified. They belonged to the Bugti tribe. We are carrying out raids to book their injured accomplices,” said the DPO.

The funeral prayers for the deceased officials were held at the Police Lines in Naseerabad. Bodies of the assailants were kept in a morgue at a state-run hospital.

Meanwhile, a man and his son, both employees of a private cellular network company, were shot dead by unidentified assailants near the Tump area of Kech district the same day, a local Levies official said.

The deceased were returning home when two men on a motorbike sprayed them with bullets.

Meanwhile, a trader was shot dead, while his nephew was injured in a firing incident in Quetta on Wednesday.

The police believe that a personal feud was the main motive behind the incident.



Published in The Express Tribune, April 30^th, 2011.