Police officer martyred in Barkhan ambush, two civilians killed in Turbat, armed men kidnap six workers
QUETTA:
At least three people, including a deputy superintendent of police (DSP), were killed, one truck driver was injured, and six labourers were abducted in a series of separate armed attacks in the Barkhan, Turbat and Chagai districts of Balochistan on Tuesday, officials said.
According to Barkhan Superintendent of Police Abdul Haq, DSP Rakhni Murid Bugti was on a routine patrol on Tuesday evening when unidentified armed assailants opened fire on his police vehicle near Khatta Check Post in Barkhan district. The senior police officer was martyred in the attack.
Following the incident, heavy contingents of police, the Frontier Corps (FC), the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) and other security agencies rushed to the area and launched a search operation to track down the attackers.
In another incident, armed men intercepted a vehicle carrying seven labourers in the Kalatak area, within the jurisdiction of Sadar Police Station in Turbat, the district headquarters of Kech. The attackers abducted all seven workers before shooting dead Javed Khan, a resident of Swabi district in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. They then fled with the remaining six labourers.
Read More: Arrested terrorist says he was paid Rs25,000 to carry out attacks on Baloch people
Police said four of the abducted workers belong to Punjab, while the other two are residents of K-P. During the attack, a passer-by, Abdul Razzaq, son of Dad Muhammad and a resident of Solband, was also caught in the crossfire and killed.
Police and security forces have launched a search operation to recover the kidnapped labourers and arrest those responsible.
Meanwhile, during the night between Monday and Tuesday, unidentified armed men attacked vehicles parked outside a roadside hotel at Padag on the N-40 highway linking Quetta with Taftan in Chagai district.
After opening fire, the attackers set five trailers and two gas tankers ablaze. A truck driver sustained injuries in the firing and was shifted to a hospital in Noshki for initial treatment before being referred to Quetta for further medical care.
Security forces have intensified search operations in the affected areas, while investigations into all three incidents are underway. No group has immediately claimed responsibility for the attacks.
