Nine Police officers killed in gun attack on dam site in Pakistan
At least nine police officers have been killed and several others remain unaccounted for following an attack by armed assailants in Pakistan’s south-western Balochistan province, according to local authorities.
The gunmen reportedly opened fire on officers assigned to protect the construction site of the multi-billion-rupee Mangi Dam project in the Ziarat district, Deputy Commissioner Abdul Quddus Achakzai told BBC Urdu.
Among those killed were two senior police officers, while security forces have launched a search operation to locate the missing personnel.
No group has claimed responsibility for the assault.
Provincial officials said security forces subsequently carried out a clearance operation in the area, killing 15 suspected members of the Pakistani Taliban (TTP).
The attack has sparked protests along a national highway near the incident site, with demonstrators condemning the violence.
Pakistan’s Interior Minister, Mohsin Naqvi, denounced the attack, describing the fallen officers as “the pride of our nation.”
The police officers had been providing security for the construction of the Mangi Dam, a major infrastructure project intended to address persistent water shortages in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan.
Bordering Afghanistan and Iran, Balochistan has experienced decades of insurgency, with armed groups seeking greater autonomy from the Pakistani government.
In May, authorities blamed the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) for an attack on a train carrying military personnel that left 20 people dead.
The province has also witnessed recent cross-border tensions. Last week, Afghanistan’s Taliban government said it had conducted strikes in the region, while Pakistan’s military reported shooting down four drones.
Source: BBC
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