ZIARAT: At least nine police personnel, including senior officers, were martyred after terrorists launched a late-night assault on a security checkpost guarding the Mangi Dam project in Balochistan’s Ziarat district.
Authorities said 15 militants were killed during a subsequent joint clearance operation.
The attack took place in the Kuchh Maangi Phase III area, where security forces and militants exchanged heavy gunfire throughout the night. Ziarat Deputy Commissioner Abdul Qudoos Achakzai confirmed the incident, saying nine policemen lost their lives while five others were initially reported missing.
Balochistan government spokesman Shahid Rind later announced that the joint operation by the Frontier Corps (FC), Balochistan Police, Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), Special Operations Wing (SOW), and Anti-Terrorist Force (ATF) had successfully cleared the area and eliminated 15 attackers.
Among the martyred were the SHO of Mangi Police Station, the SHO of Kawas Police Station, ATF Incharge Head Constable Saifullah, and several other police personnel.
Rind said DSP Ghulam Sarwar and eight officers safely reached Kach Police Station after making their way through difficult mountainous terrain, while Constable Rizwan was recovered unharmed during the operation.
The bodies of the fallen officers were shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital in Ziarat for legal formalities and post-mortem examinations.
Condemning the attack, Rind said the terrorists had paid a heavy price for attempting to destabilize the province. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to continuing intelligence-based operations and vowed that those challenging the state’s authority would be brought to justice.
He also paid tribute to the martyred police personnel, describing their sacrifices as unforgettable and pledging full support for their families.
The attack follows a series of militant incidents in Balochistan in recent months, including assaults on police installations in Qila Abdullah, Pishin, and Duki, as well as a deadly attack on a police checkpost in Pishin in April.
Despite these incidents, the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) reported a decline in militant violence across the province during June, with terrorist attacks dropping from 71 in May to 49 in June a decrease of around 31 percent.
