No military operation: Army in Awaran for relief efforts only, says ISPR

DG ISPR says security forces are committed to the relief operation in the earthquake-hit areas.

RAWALPINDI: The security forces are present in Awaran and Mashkay districts of Balochistan for the purpose of providing relief to earthquake victims, said Director-General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Asim Saleem Bajwa on Sunday.

Dispelling media reports of an army operation in Balochistan, the DG ISPR said that security forces are committed to the relief operation despite repeated attacks by miscreants on troops.

“The security forces have exercised utmost restraint, despite losing six soldiers to IED attacks and fire raids, and having another 12 soldiers injured,” General Bajwa said, reiterating that there was no military operation taking place in the two districts.

The military has claimed that its forces busy in relief operations and providing aid to earthquake victims near militant strongholds have come under frequent attacks.

Background

The first earthquake had hit Balochistan on September 24, killing at least 350 people and injuring hundreds more.

Another 7.2-magnitude quake furthered the damage when it struck the area on September 28.

A senior FC officer had said that most of the stricken places in Awaran are highly risky areas for relief workers and provincial functionaries as it is a hub of Baloch nationalist militants.

Mashkay – a sub-district of Awaran – has been under the militant command of nationalist guerrilla commander, Dr Allah Nazar who has been confronting the FC and Pakistan Army for a long time.