At least 10 Levies officials and a pedestrian were injured in a roadside explosion that targeted the convoy of the Kech Deputy Commissioner in Turbat area of Balochistan on Monday. The DC was travelling in a bullet proof car and escaped unhurt. In another incident, dozens of armed men invaded a town in Kacchi district and set the police station on fire, before escaping after a heavy gun battle with the police.
Speaking about the roadside explosion, officials said the Improvised Explosive Device (IED), which was tied to a motorbike, went off next to a security vehicle when the DC’s convoy reached Thana road in Turbat. “At least 10 Levies personnel present in the security vehicle, as well as a passerby, were injured in the powerful blast,” Nazeer Ahmed, Turbat Deputy Superintendent of Police said, according to a Dawn report.
The Deputy Commissioner, who was travelling in a bulletproof vehicle, remained safe in the explosion. Soon after the blast, the security forces and the police rushed to the site, and the injured Levies personnel and the injured civilian were rushed to the district hospital in Turbat. “The condition of two personnel is serious,” the police said, quoting hospital officials.
The explosion destroyed the security vehicle, while the bulletproof vehicle of the DC was also damaged. At least a dozen buildings and five vehicles parked in the vicinity were also damaged in the powerful IED explosion.
In another major attack by pro-independence Baloch rebels, dozens of militants attacked Bhag Narhi, a town in Kacchi district, and set the Levies station and other government buildings on fire. According to the SSP of the district, armed men broke into the judicial lock-up and took away six under-trial prisoners. He said the Tehsil office was also attacked by the militants who ransacked the record of ‘Patwarkhana’ and its furniture. They tried to enter a National Bank branch but the police foiled their attempt, the SSP added.
He said the police station was completely gutted. The building of the National Bank was also damaged as heavy weapons were used in the attack. Armed men affiliated with a Baloch “pro-independence” group seized control of Bhag Narhi, a town in Balochistan’s Kachhi district, on Monday, killing the local Station House Officer (SHO) and torching government buildings, according to a report in The Balochistan Post.
The attackers entered the town at sunset and took over the police and Levies stations, the Tehsil office, and a government bank, sources said, adding that the assailants confiscated weapons and vehicles before setting several buildings on fire. SHO Lutf Ali Khosa was killed in the clashes, while two of his guards and a police constable were injured, according to police. Police claimed to have killed two of the attackers in return fire.
Videos shared on social media showed armed men patrolling the streets on vehicles and motorcycles, waving flags associated with Baloch groups. Residents said government employees were briefly detained during the assault.
The United Baloch Army (UBA) later claimed responsibility for the attack, saying its fighters had “taken full control” of Bhag Narhi, an administrative sub division (Tehsil) of Kachhi district. UBA spokesperson Mazar Baloch said the group’s fighters had seized key installations, including the Levies and police stations and a government bank, before setting them on fire.
He added that the fighters established checkpoints on the town’s main entry routes and patrolled the area for several hours while clashes with Pakistani forces continued. “The freedom fighters of the United Baloch Army (UBA) have taken complete control of Bhag Narhi,” the statement said, adding that a detailed report of the operation would be released soon.
As of late Monday, sources said armed men remained in control of parts of Bhag Narhi, while Pakistani armed forces attempted to enter the area but faced heavy resistance.
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