RAWALPINDI:
Security forces killed three terrorists and arrested four others, during two intelligence-based operations in Balochistan. The killed and arrested terrorists belong to Fitna al Hindustan, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) reported.
According to ISPR, an IBO was carried out in Kech District, where security forces raided a hideout and gunned down three India-sponsored terrorists. A large quantity of weapons, ammunition, and explosives was recovered. The slain militants were actively involved in a number of terrorist activities, the ISPR added.
“Security forces of Pakistan remain determined to eliminate India-sponsored terrorism from our soil and are committed to bringing all perpetrators and their facilitators to books,” the ISPR stated.
In a separate operation in Khuzdar District on Wednesday, security forces targeted terrorists linked to the Indian proxy network Fitna al Hindustan. Four militants attempting to flee by disguising themselves in women’s attire were apprehended. Weapons and ammunition were also seized from their possession, according to the military’s media wing.
An operation is underway in the area to ensure no terrorists exist. The ISPR added that Pakistan’s security forces will continue to pursue and neutralise all threats to national peace and stability.
It is pertinent to mention that security forces killed a total of 13 terrorists in separate IBOs, conducted in Quetta and Kech districts on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Suicide blast near Frontier Corps headquarters in Quetta
A day ago, at least 11 people, including two paramilitary soldiers, were martyred when a suicide bomb blast ripped through the Pishin Stop area near the Frontier Corps (FC) headquarters in Quetta, triggering a gunbattle in which security forces killed six terrorists, officials said.
Security officials said, the terrorists tried to storm the FC headquarters in the Balochistan capital. One of them detonated himself near a checkpoint. In the exchange of fire, security forces killed six terrorists and recovered a large quantity of arms and ammunition.
“The suicide bomber, riding a Suzuki van, detonated the device, while [at least] five of his accomplices tried to enter the compound afterwards,” a senior local government official told AFP. “In the exchange of fire, all attackers were killed,” the official said.
“Timely response byu the security forces averted a larger tragedy,” said another official. “Arms and ammunition were also recovered from the terrorists,” he added. Officials revealed that the Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) confirmed that 30 to 40 kilogramms of explosives were used in the blast.
CCTV images, shared with media, showed an loader van turning into the entrance of the FC headquarters before the explosion. Eyewitnesses described the blast as “so intense” that it was heard across the city, causing panic among residents as fire and smoke billowed from the site.
Rescue officials said a local passenger bus was among the targets, hit by the suicide bombing, leaving commuters and nearby pedestrians seriously wounded. Besides the 11 fatalities, nearly three-dozen others sustained injuries, according to Balochistan Health Minister, Bakht Muhammad Kakar.
Many of the injured were shifted to Civil Hospital Quetta, where several remain in critical condition, according to medics. Kakar said that an emergency had been declared in all hospitals across the city to ensure immediate medical aid to the injured.
The explosion caused significant damage to nearby buildings, shattering windows and doors. Security forces cordoned off the area soon after the incident and launched a thorough investigation.
