Two police officers martyred in drive-by shooting in troubled Balochistan
Assalamu alaikum - Two police officers were killed in a drive-by shooting in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province, officials said, as insurgent attacks rise in the resource-rich region bordering Afghanistan and Iran.
The attack highlights the worsening security situation in Balochistan - Pakistan’s largest and least-developed province - where separatist and militant groups have stepped up assaults on police and security forces in recent months, often targeting officials and projects connected to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
The incident happened in Killi Ghareeb Abad near the Nushki city bypass, close to the Afghan border. It was the second attack on police in Balochistan’s Rakhshan division in under a week, after senior officer Muhammad Qasim was killed in Kharan district on Friday.
"Unknown armed men on a motorbike opened fire on the policemen, identified as Ubaid Ullah and Abdul Razzaq, who were heading to carry out their duties," Nushki Station House Officer Zaheer Baloch told officials. "An investigation has begun and a search operation is underway to track down the attackers."
No group has claimed responsibility so far.
Balochistan, which holds vast mineral wealth and important CPEC routes, has suffered several major incidents this year, including the hijacking of a passenger train in March and a suicide bombing in Khuzdar in May that tragically killed several schoolchildren.
Elsewhere, Pakistan’s security forces reported killing a militant during an operation in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, destroying multiple hideouts and tunnels used by insurgents, state media said.
The intelligence-led raid in the Shahi Tangi forest of Bajaur district led to heavy clashes; several militants were wounded but managed to escape, the report added. "Weapons, explosive materials and communication devices used by the militants were recovered," the statement said.
Militant attacks across KP have risen since November 2022, after a fragile truce between the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) and the government broke down.
In recent months, Pakistan has accused other countries of supporting anti-state groups or allowing cross-border attacks from their soil - claims denied by those nations.
May Allah grant patience to the families of the martyred officers and protect our security forces. Please keep them and the victims in your duas.
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