Nine police personnel martyred, 15 militants killed in Ziarat operation

QUETTA: At least nine police personnel were martyred while 15 militants were killed during a counterterrorism operation in Balochistan’s Ziarat district after terrorists attacked police in the Kuch Mangi Phase III area, officials said on Tuesday.

The attack triggered a large-scale joint clearance operation involving multiple law enforcement agencies. Authorities said the operation was completed successfully and inflicted a major blow on the militant network.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the terrorist attack and prayed for the elevation of the martyrs’ ranks as well as patience and strength for their bereaved families.

The prime minister said the attack once again demonstrated that the militants were enemies of Balochistan’s peace, development and prosperity.

Reaffirming the government’s commitment to restoring security, he said no one would be allowed to undermine peace in the province and vowed that operations against terrorists would continue until the threat posed by anti-state elements was eliminated.

According to Ziarat Superintendent of Police (SP) Qadoos Dehwar, terrorists targeted police personnel, resulting in the martyrdom of nine officers and officials.

Police said an exchange of fire between security forces and the attackers had continued since Monday night before the assault.

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Authorities identified eight of the martyred personnel as SHO Muhammad Hussain, SHO Sohbat Khan, Abdul Baqi, son of Abdul Rahman Sanjawi, Sher Muhammad Kawas, Mansoor Ahmed, son of Muhammad Umar Wacha Ghauski, Saifullah of the Anti-Terrorist Force (ATF) Harnai, Muhammad Ashraf Sanjawi and Azad Khan Sanjawi.

The identity of the ninth martyred officer has not yet been officially disclosed.

The bodies were shifted to the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital in Ziarat for legal formalities and post-mortem examinations.

Following the attack, security forces launched a joint clearance operation against militants belonging to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also referred to by the government as Fitna al-Khawarij.

Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind said the operation was jointly conducted by the Frontier Corps (FC), Balochistan Police, the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), the Special Operations Wing (SOW) and the Anti-Terrorist Force (ATF).

Separately, Home Department spokesperson Babar Yousafzai said the operation dealt a significant blow to the militant network, with 15 militants killed.

Rind added that DSP Ghulam Sarwar and eight other police personnel safely reached Kach Police Station after navigating difficult mountainous terrain, while Constable Rizwan was also recovered safely during the operation.

Paying tribute to the martyred police personnel, both provincial officials praised the courage and professionalism of the security forces and law enforcement agencies, saying they had foiled the terrorists’ plans through coordinated action.

Yousafzai said intelligence-based operations against terrorist organisations and their facilitators would continue until terrorism was completely eradicated from Balochistan.

He stressed that there was no place in the province for terrorists or those supporting them, adding that any attack on the writ of the state would be met with a decisive response.

He described the sacrifices of the martyred officers as a national asset and vowed that those responsible would be brought to justice.

He said lasting peace, protection of lives and property, and the elimination of terrorism remained the government’s top priorities, expressing confidence that the combined efforts of security forces and the people of Balochistan would ultimately defeat militancy.

Rind also reaffirmed the provincial government’s resolve to continue counterterrorism operations until the threat was completely eliminated, saying the sacrifices of the fallen police personnel would never be forgotten.