Quetta, Aug 23 (IANS) A security official was killed and six others injured when a roadside bomb struck security vehicles in Pakistan’s southwest Balochistan province, police said on Sunday.
The explosion occurred in the Khad Kocha area of Mastung district along the Quetta-Karachi National Highway on Saturday, when an explosive device planted near the road was detonated as a security convoy passed through the area, police officials said.
One vehicle was hit in the blast, while other vehicles remained safe, according to a police statement.
An exchange of fire followed the explosion, but the attackers fled before additional security personnel arrived at the scene, the statement said.
The body of the deceased security personnel and the injured were shifted to a nearby hospital, reports Xinhua news agency.
Authorities temporarily closed the highway and launched a search operation to trace those involved in the attack.
This comes close on the heels of repeated attacks by the Baloch armed groups on the Pakistani forces across Balochistan.
Recently, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) announced that its fighters took “complete control” of Saranan town in Balochistan’s Pishin district during an operation in which a police station was blown up.
According to a media report, government offices were also set ablaze, and several police personnel were briefly detained.
Citing sources, The Balochistan Post reported that during the attack on Thursday, the BLA fighters seized arms and ammunition from the police station before destroying the building with explosives. They also set fire to several government offices, including the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) office.
In a statement issued after the operation, BLA spokesperson Jeeyand Baloch said, “Today, sarmachars (freedom fighters) of the Baloch Liberation Army gained complete control over Saranan town in Pishin, taking custody of the police station, NADRA office, and other government buildings. During the operation, several police personnel were taken into custody and were subsequently released. After seizing a large quantity of arms and ammunition from the police station, the building was destroyed in an explosion. The Baloch Liberation Army claims responsibility for this operation.”
–IANS
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