What Happened During the Armed Assault on Police Stations in Balochistan?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Armed men attacked a police station in Kachhi district.
- Another group targeted a security check post with hand grenades.
- No casualties were reported in either incident.
- Local authorities have begun joint operations to locate the attackers.
- There has been a significant increase in violence against law enforcement in Pakistan.
Quetta, Nov 5 (NationPress) A group of armed individuals launched an assault on a police station in the Kachhi district of Balochistan, Pakistan, while another group targeted a security check post in the Western Bypass area of Quetta using hand grenades, as reported by local media on Wednesday.
Officials stated that approximately two dozen armed assailants, equipped with heavy weaponry, targeted the Khattan Police Station in Kachhi district on Tuesday evening. The attackers entered the station, igniting a fire that consumed official documents and furniture, according to the prominent daily Dawn. Before fleeing, the assailants made off with two rifles, including an SMG and a G-3, along with a mobile phone and a private motorcycle.
A senior official indicated, "Due to the overwhelming number of attackers, former levies personnel, who were nearby, were unable to respond effectively." Fortunately, no casualties or injuries were reported during this incident.
Following the attack, local police and security forces promptly arrived at the scene and commenced a joint search operation to apprehend the assailants. The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) Sibi Range is also conducting an investigation into the matter.
In another incident, unidentified individuals employed hand grenades to assault a security forces check post in the Western Bypass area of Quetta. Police officials noted, "Motorcyclists launched two grenades at the post, which detonated nearby but fortunately caused no injuries."
In retaliation, security personnel stationed at the check post returned fire, but the assailants managed to escape after throwing the grenades. Security forces have initiated a search operation in the vicinity.
On Monday, six police officers sustained injuries when gunmen opened fire on the vehicle of the North Waziristan District Police Officer's (DPO) near Mamash Khel town in the Bannu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as confirmed by an official.
Bannu Regional Police Officer (RPO) Sajjad Khan reported that the incident transpired on Miranshah road, linking Bannu and North Waziristan. He further mentioned, "Armed individuals targeted the vehicle of North Waziristan’s DPO," adding that the DPO escaped unscathed. The injured officers were transported to Bannu District Headquarters Hospital.
The frequency of such attacks has surged in Pakistan over the past year, particularly in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, following the breakdown of a ceasefire between the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the government in 2022. In recent months, law enforcement personnel have faced an uptick in attacks, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
On November 2, a Station House Officer (SHO) and two other police personnel were wounded in an explosion caused by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in Hangu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.