Inspector General of Frontier Corps (FC) Maj-Gen Obaidullah Khan Khattak expressed grief on Thursday over the deaths of 14 paramilitary troops in Turbat District, adding that the FC was determined to retain peace in Balochistan.
In a statement issues here, Khattak said the sacrifices rendered by FC personnel would not go in vain and FC would not abandon its duties of retaining durable peace in this region.
“The elements involved in this deadly attack will be chased till they are brought to justice,” he said.
According to the statement, militants placed landmines near the Kalag area of Buleida, sub-division in Kech District. FC personnel were engaged in a de-mining operation to protect the lives and property of residents when militants ambushed the FC personnel.
Fourteen FC personnel, including two Junior Commissioned Officers, were killed and two FC vehicles were also destroyed in the attack. Law enforcement agencies and police have sealed off the area and launched a manhunt for the arrest of assailants involved in the atrocity, the statement added.
Another official said the attack was so sudden that the soldiers did not have time to defend themselves. He said the attackers were believed to be at least two dozen in number. The attack was claimed by a spokesman for the Balochistan Liberation Front in calls to television stations and newspapers.
Baloch insurgents have been fighting a protracted insurgency in the province to demand more autonomy and control over the natural resources of their impoverished region.
The insurgency became more deadly following the killing of Baloch chieftain Nawab Akbar Bugti, who was also the chief of Jamhoori Watan Party, in a military operation in the Taratani caves of Kohlu district in 2006.
The Pakistan Peoples Party-led coalition government has announced a package, Aghaz-e-Huqooq-e-Balochistan, to address the sense of deprivation among the people in the largest province of the country.
However, this delayed move has done little to pacify the Baloch insurgent groups who, it appears, do not want a political solution to the problem.
They blame the military for continuing detentions and subsequent killing of political activists.
In a similar ambush on November 21, militants killed 14 soldiers in the Musakhel District of Balochistan. In December a car bomb blast in Quetta killed 15. (Additional input from wires)
Published in The Express Tribune, January 13th, 2012.
COMMENTS (12)
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I think, we should not criticize only FC for the killing of baluch leaders. Baluchistan contains a lot of resources inside and there are sardars that control their people. Everybody knows these sardars are also in the race of getting hold on those resources. Political conflicts among the members of the parties can also be a factor of these killings. Also beware of the fact that baluch always belong to a tribe. It is strange that we are ignoring these factors and only cursing the front face, why not the back face too?
@Chilli: the looters r the feudal lords of Baluchistan,who the bloach people elect them selves,its these feudal war lords who r to blame,they r the ones who do not support gwadar,they r the ones who r biggest obstical for Baluchistan,they take who take every thing but give nothing,as giving would empower people,which would start a vicious cycle leading to prosperity.the day baluchis elect civilians as there leaders the tide will turn.btw Baluchistan is Pakistan,we talk of it as some separate entity,well its not, they r our brothers and we must solve there grievances....
@Maroof: its part of Pakistan not a separate country, complete autonomy is like creating a separate country,without military intervention Baluchistan would have long been separated.i dont support operations any where with in Pakistan but in this case we dont have a choice, Indian intervention must be stopped at all cost.
@ IG FC
Is it job of Police or Levis or FC to catch the murderers ? Why do we see so many FC Check Posts with chains on roads of interior Balochistan?More abductions and dead bodies.
When even Baloch Prime Minister could was not successfully address Baloch problems how can you blame others. Balochistan problems need sensible and realistic approach. They are the owners of their resources, we have looted all but paid nothing in return. All Pakistan owe a lot to Balochistan.
Solution to Balochistan is political and complete autonomy. No amount of military operations will solve the problem.
@Concerned: The culprits of Baloch and FC massacre are the same! The are the sardar supported gangs who kill their opponents, whether Baloch or FC.
I am sure the military will catch the anti state criminals but they need to seal the border with Afghanistan which is the base for Indian supported groups who are killing Pakistanis.
Our leaders should focus on the Baluchistan, rather than on Memo-gate and NRO
and who will catch culprits of Baloch massacre? having said that I am deeply sorry for the loss of lives of soldiers because they do not know what game is being played in Balochistan.