Landmines, firing leave 7 dead in Balochistan

Three shot dead in Quetta in two separa­te incide­nts.

QUETTA:

Four people were killed and a woman was injured in separate incidents of landmine explosions and firing in Chamalang, Sui and Dera Murad Jamali areas of Balochistan on Monday. Besides, three people were shot dead in provincial capital Quetta.

According to official sources, a man identified as Faizu was working on a farm along with his mother when he stepped on a landmine placed by unidentified persons. As a result, Faizu received fatal wounds and died on the spot, while his mother sustained multiple injuries.

The deceased and the injured were taken to the nearby state-run hospital for treatment.

Similarly, a man was killed in a landmine explosion in Chamalang coalfield area on Monday. Shafiq Khan, a shepherd, stepped on the device which had been placed in the remote mountainous area. The body was taken to the hospital for autopsy. A case was registered against unidentified people by the authorities.

Meanwhile, two people were killed by an armed bandit in Dera Murad Jamali, police officials confirmed. The assailant, identified as Sumar Khan opened fire on Asghar Ali, who was standing at a bus stop. A passer-by was also hit by the hail of bullets.

“The bodies had bullet wounds in their heads,” hospital sources added. The motive behind the murders remained unknown. In an unrelated incident, unidentified persons blew up a portion of gas pipeline in Pirkoh area of Dera Bugti on Monday.

According to official sources, an explosive device was attached to the pipeline, causing major damage to it. As a result, gas supply to the nearby area was suspended.

A heavy contingent of security forces rushed to the scene and cordoned off the site. Repairs to the damaged section began soon after. A manhunt to find the perpetrators had been launched. There have been no claims of responsibility for the attack.

Shopkeepers targeted

Three persons were shot dead in the provincial capital in two separate incidents of firing on Monday night.

According to police, unidentified armed men on a motorbike opened fire on a general store on Kasi Road, killing its owner Mohammad Dawood and another man Rehmatullah instantly. The assailants fled immediately after.

The deceased were taken to Sandeman Hospital. “Both were sitting near the general store when armed men targeted them. The victims were shot in the head twice,” a police official affirmed.

Relatives said the victims had no enemies. “It could be a case of targeted killing,” an official claimed.

A few hours earlier, a man identified as Abdul Qadir, owner of a furniture shop, was shot dead on Khudiadad road. He was returning home from work when the assailants shot him dead. He received three bullets in his head, doctors at Sandeman Hospital said.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 21^st, 2012.