Five people, including a police officer, were killed in an attack by armed men on a police station in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province on Tuesday, local media reported.
Police said that about 20 militants attacked the Naseerabad Police Station in the Turbat area of the volatile province in the early morning.
District Police Officer Muhammad Baloch confirmed the attack, saying constables Essa and Hassan tried to engage the attackers but the former was killed while Hassan was overpowered. The attacker took possession of the weapons of the two policemen.
After the attack, the local authorities had asked the workers coming from outside of the province to stay at police stations during the night until the security situation improved.
Such attacks are carried out by the Baloch nationalists against the Pakistan Army mostly belonging to the neighbouring Punjab province who come to the Balochistan province in killing the Baloch millitants.
The Baloch extremists allege that the outsiders, especially from the Punjab, steal local jobs and resources and target them.
Balochistan caretaker Chief Minister Ali Mardan Khan Domki expressed regret over the deaths, terming the attack “condemnable and intolerable”.
“No religion in the world allows terrorism,” he said. “The killing of Army personal and labourers is a sad incident and the involved elements will be brought to justice.” Balochistan, bordering Iran and Afghanistan, is home to a long-running violent insurgency. Baloch insurgent groups have previously carried out several attacks targeting the USD 60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor projects in the region.
