DERA BUGTI: At least four people including a cousin of Balochistan Awami Party Senator Sarfaraz Bugti were killed and over 10 others wounded in a landmine blast in Sui area of Dera Bugti district on Friday.
The injured included Levies force personnel too. The dead bodies and injured were shifted to Public Welfare Hospital for autopsy and medical treatment respectively.Sources said unknown people had laid the landmine in Matt Mondrani area. The deceased were members of local Aman Force.
Sarfraz Bugti said that the banned organisation Balochistan Republican Army was behind the attack. Law enforcers including Levies Force personnel have reached at the site of the incident. According to officials at the Levies Control Room, the victims were passing by the area when their vehicle drove over a landmine.
In a statement, the military’s media wing said the incident took place on the night between January 25 and 26, where one terrorist was killed and several others sustained injuries.
The security forces have apprehended three terrorists in follow up clearance operation, while they were still on the hunt for the perpetrators behind the incident.
“Armed forces are determined to eliminate terrorists from our soil no matter what the cost,” the statement added.
Prime Minister Imran Khan
Prime Minister Imran Khan has given an assurance that he will “rid Pakistan of all forms of terrorism”, a day after 10 soldiers were martyred in a terrorist attack at a security check post in Balochistan’s Kech district.
Taking to his Twitter, the premier said that the brave soldiers of Pakistan continue to lay down their lives to keep the country safe from terrorists. “I salute the 10 martyred soldiers who repulsed a terrorist fire raid on checkpost in Kech Balochistan. We are resolute in our commitment to rid Pakistan of all forms of terrorism,” he wrote.
Mir Abdul Quddos Birzenho
Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Abdul Qudoos Bazinjo condemned the blast incident and expressed grief over death of Aman Force volunteers. He condoled families of the victims.
“The martyrs laid their lives for protection of lives and properties of people and to establish peace in the province. The enemies of peace once again carried out a cowardice activity of terrorism. The efforts and sacrifices rendered for peace would not go waste,” he said. He prayed for the departed souls and speedy recovery of the injured.
He said the enemies had once again carried out a cowardly act of terrorism to ruin peace in the province. “No effort will be spared to bring the terrorists to justice,” Binzejo said.
“The sacrifices and efforts made for peace will not go in vain. The entire nation stands united with the country’s security forces in eliminating terrorists,” he said.
Sarfraz Bugti
Meanwhile, Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) leader Sarfraz Bugti claimed that “Baloch Republican Army terrorists” were behind the attack. He questioned how long the state would continue to tolerate such attacks on innocent people.
He said that his cousin was among the victims, adding that the deceased was a father of four kids.
“Provincial and federal government of Pakistan are failing to protect innocent people. This kind of situation will push people to take measures on their own. The writ of the government needs to be implemented in Balochistan,” he said.
Sheikh Rasheed warns
Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad had warned of a surge in terrorist activities in the country in the coming months. “Terrorism is expected to rise in the country in the next two months,” Rasheed said in an interview with the British media.
He, however, said that Pakistan has a much better system to fight terrorists and gathering information and this wave of terrorism will be dealt with accordingly. The minister said that Afghan Taliban are unable to force the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan into anything. “However, they [Afghan Taliban] are playing a positive role and have been a mediator in Pakistan’s negotiations with the TTP,” he said.
He said that the Afghan Taliban are playing the role of a bridge and trying to keep the TTP from engaging in terrorist activities.
Four Sibi Scouts murdered
Meanwhile, four members of Sibi Scouts, a wing of the Frontier Corps’ North Wing, were martyred and five others injured when their vehicle hit a landmine in Sangaan area of Sibi district, officials said on Thursday (22nd January).
They said the incident took place on Wednesday in Sangaan area of Sibi district where Sibi Scouts personnel were busy in clearing the area for establishing a new check-post.
“Unknown miscreants planted a landmine in the area, which went off when a vehicle carrying security personnel ran over it,” the sources said, adding that four soldiers were martyred on the spot while five others suffered injuries.
Members of security forces rushed to the area after getting information about the incident, and shifted the injured to the Combined Military Hospital, Quetta, through a helicopter.
Meanwhile, Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan Alyani, Home Minister Ziaullah Langove, Provincial Minister for PHE Noor Muhammad Dummar and Adviser to Chief Minister on Information Bushara Rind condemned the attack on members of security forces.
In a statement issued here, they said that such attacks could not bring down the morale of members of security forces who were sacrificing their lives to ensure peace and protect lives of the masses in the province.
They said that the government and members of security forces would not bow down to terrorists and would continue their efforts to eliminate the latter.