Islamabad: Nine police personnel were martyred after heavily armed militants attacked a police check post in Balochistan’s Ziarat district, while 15 militants were killed during a subsequent joint security operation, officials said on Tuesday.
According to the Ziarat Superintendent of Police (SP) Abdul Qudoos, the attackers targeted a police check post in the Kach Mangi Phase III area. The assault led to the martyrdom of nine police officials, including two station house officers (SHOs).
The martyred officers include Muhammad Hussain, SHO Mangi, and Sohbat Khan, SHO Kowas. Officials said an intense exchange of gunfire between security personnel and the attackers continued throughout the night.
The bodies of the martyred personnel were shifted to the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital in Ziarat, while security was further reinforced across the area following the attack.
Meanwhile, Balochistan Chief Minister’s Adviser for Information Shahid Rind said a joint clearance operation against the militants had been successfully completed in the Mangi area of Ziarat district.
According to Rind, 15 militants were killed during the operation, which involved the Frontier Corps (FC), Balochistan Police, the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), the Special Operations Wing (SOW), and the Anti-Terrorism Force (ATF).
He added that DSP Ghulam Sarwar and eight other police personnel safely reached Kach Police Station after navigating difficult mountainous terrain, while Constable Rizwan was also rescued safely during the operation.
Shahid Rind said the militants had paid a heavy price for attempting to disrupt peace in Balochistan, adding that the state was responding with full force to terrorist threats and had foiled the attackers’ objectives.
He further stated that there would be no safe havens for militants in Balochistan and that every attack would receive a decisive response. Intelligence-based operations against militant groups, he said, would continue with greater effectiveness.
Meanwhile President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif have strongly condemned the terrorist attack by terrorists on a police check post in Ziarat.
In a statement, the President paid tribute to the courage and devotion to duty of the police officers and personnel who laid down their lives in the attack. He said that every conspiracy aimed at sabotaging peace and stability in Balochistan would be defeated. He said the state would continue its operations against terrorism with full determination. The President prayed for the elevation of the ranks of the martyrs and the swift recovery of the injured. He said the services of security forces and law enforcement agencies in maintaining law and order and protecting the people are a source of pride for the entire nation.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, in a statement, also paid tribute to police personnel who were martyred in the attack. Commiserating with the bereaved families, he prayed for the departed souls.
The Prime Minister said the attack by terrorists has once again proved that these elements are enemies of the development, peace and prosperity of the people of Balochistan. He vowed that no one would be allowed to harm peace in Balochistan.
The Prime Minister said the war against the terrorists will continue until their complete elimination. He also commended security forces for killing fifteen terrorists during a clearance operation.
Meanwhile Interior Minister Senator Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi has strongly condemned the attack carried out by Indian-sponsored terrorists in the Ziarat area.
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½The Interior Minister paid tribute to the nine police personnel who embraced martyrdom and expressed his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. He prayed for strength and patience for the families of the martyrs.
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½Mohsin Naqvi said that the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the cause of peace are the pride of the nation, and their unparalleled sacrifices will never be forgotten. He added that such cowardly attacks cannot undermine peace.
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½The Interior Minister also commended the Police and security forces for eliminating 15 Indian-sponsored terrorists during the clearance operation in the Ziarat area.
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½Mohsin Naqvi said the brave police personnel sacrificed their lives to foil the nefarious designs of the terrorists. He paid tribute to the Police for bringing the Indian-sponsored terrorists to a fitting end.
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½The Interior Minister reaffirmed that the nation and its security forces remain fully determined to thwart every conspiracy by Indian-sponsored terrorists aimed at sabotaging peace.