Nine Police Officers Killed in Deadly Attack on Police Post in Pakistan’s Balochistan
At least nine police officers, including two station house officers (SHOs), were killed after armed Baloch separatists stormed a police post in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province, prompting a large scale security operation that officials said left 15 attackers dead, acording to Dawn.com.
The attack took place late Monday night in the Mangi Dam area of Ziarat district, according to local authorities. Officials said the assailants launched a surprise assault on the police post, triggering an intense exchange of gunfire. Despite resistance from the officers, the attackers managed to breach the compound.
Ziarat Deputy Commissioner Abdul Qudoos Achakzai confirmed that nine officers were killed and said five others were still missing. Security forces have launched search operations to locate the missing personnel while reinforcing security across the area.
Shahid Rind, spokesperson for the Balochistan provincial government, said a joint clearance operation was launched immediately after the attack. He said security forces killed 15 Baloch separatists during the operation, describing it as a decisive response against armed militants operating in the province.
The officers killed included the SHOs of Mangi and Kawas police stations, as well as an Anti-Terrorist Force commander. Their bodies were transferred to the district hospital for legal formalities.
The attack sparked protests in the region, with local residents blocking the Quetta-Ziarat highway in anger over the deteriorating security situation. Traffic on one of the province’s key transport routes remained suspended for several hours.
Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Sharif strongly condemned the attack, praising the police officers who lost their lives and pledging to continue operations against militant groups. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti also vowed that those responsible would be brought to justice.
The attack comes despite a recent decline in militant violence across Pakistan, according to the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies. Although overall attacks in Balochistan fell in June compared with the previous month, the latest assault highlights the persistent security challenges facing the province, where separatist violence continues to threaten stability.
