ZIARAT, Pakistan: At least nine police personnel were martyred after terrorists launched a deadly attack on a police deployment in the Kuch Mangi Phase III area of Balochistan’s Ziarat district, officials confirmed on Tuesday.
Deputy Commissioner Ziarat confirmed the incident, stating that the bodies of all nine martyred officers had been shifted to the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital in Ziarat.
According to police sources, an intense gun battle between security forces and terrorists had been ongoing since the previous night. The officers reportedly fought the attackers throughout the night before the assault claimed their lives.
The attack marks the second major terrorist incident in Balochistan within the past 72 hours. Earlier, militants attacked the Hanna Urak area near Quetta, where local tribesmen resisted the assault. Four civilians were killed, while seven people, including police personnel, were abducted.
Residents remain on a sit-in protest along Airport Road, demanding stronger security measures and the safe recovery of the abducted individuals.
According to protesters, the victims had been deployed to guard an under-construction water tank near Mangi Dam when unidentified armed men arrived and forcibly took them away. Five of the abductees reportedly managed to escape from captivity, while security forces have launched a large-scale operation to rescue the remaining hostages.
Public anger has intensified following the attack and abductions, with demonstrators blocking the national highway at Ziarat Cross in Pishin district. Protesters are demanding the immediate and safe recovery of all those still missing.
Authorities have launched an investigation into the attack, while security operations in the region continue.
