A 16-year-old boy lost his life and seven others sustained injuries in a terrorist attack in Mastung district, while two Indian proxy assailants were shot dead during a counter-operation carried out by security forces, a government official said on Tuesday.
Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind said the armed men targeted key government installations, including the Tehsil office, a local bank, and other administrative buildings. They opened indiscriminate fire, killing a teenage student on the spot and leaving at least seven others injured.
Police said that the assailants entered the city in the morning and set government offices and two banks on fire. Security personnel from the Frontier Corps (FC), Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), and Levies Force responded promptly and engaged the attackers in a counter-terror operation.
An intense exchange of gunfire ensured in which two terrorists were killed, while three others sustained injuries, according to the police. Rind said that the attackers were affiliated to "Fitna al Hindustan," a term used for a network of India-backed terror activities aimed at destabilising Balochistan.
Mastung Deputy Commissioner Athar Abbas Raja said that multiple gunshots and explosions were heard in the area around 11:00am, which caused widespread panic among local residents. "The immediate vicinity was placed under lockdown as security teams took control of the situation," Raja said.
Government spokesperson Rind said that a full-scale operation against terrorists was under way in the area. "The forces have launched a systematic clearance operation and intelligence-based operations are continued to protect the citizens as well as arrest the terrorists and their facilitators," he added.
Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) provinces have witnessed a surge in terrorist attacks in recent past. Many of those attacks are believed to be orchestrated by foreign-backed insurgent groups.
In K-P, a successful operation was carried out by security forces in the Teri Mangal area of Kurram district, in which two terrorists, Hafeezur Rehman and Wajid Gul were killed. Security forces said the two slain terrorists carried head money of Rs5 million each.
Sources said the two men were part of a group responsible for the killing of five teachers in Teri Mangal in 2023. The provincial government had announced bounties for Hafeezur Rehman, Wajid Gul and three others in July 2024.
During the exchange of fire on Tuesday, the sources said, a local resident was injured with a gunshot wound to his leg. They added that further measures were being taken to maintain peace in the area and that operations would continue until the complete elimination of terrorists in the area.
In a separate incident in Tajazai area of Lakki Marwat district, two traffic police officials were shot dead by unidentified armed assailants. The victims, identified as Israeel and Sanaullah, both residents of Long Khel, were on their way to duty at the Tajazai traffic checkpoint.
K-P Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur strongly condemned the tragic killing of two police officers and expressed profound grief over the loss of the law-enforcement personnel. "The sacrifice of these brave officers in the line of duty will not be forgotten," he stated.
"The families of our martyrs will not be left alone , we stand with them in their moment of grief and will provide all necessary assistance," chief minister emphasised. The provincial government has announced full state honours for the martyred officers as investigations into the incident continue.
(WITH INPUT FROM APP)
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