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Thursday March 28, 2024

Militants attack Jiwani airport, kill two engineers

QUETTA: Armed militants attacked the radar system at the Jiwani airport, near the Pak-Iran coastal border in Balochistan’s Gwadar district on early Sunday, killing two aviation engineers, officials said.Spokesman for the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Pervez George confirmed the attack on the radar system at the Jiwani airport, some 980

By our correspondents
August 31, 2015
QUETTA: Armed militants attacked the radar system at the Jiwani airport, near the Pak-Iran coastal border in Balochistan’s Gwadar district on early Sunday, killing two aviation engineers, officials said.
Spokesman for the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Pervez George confirmed the attack on the radar system at the Jiwani airport, some 980 kilometers from Quetta, the provincial capital.
Official sources said electronic supervisor, Khalidullah was killed in the pre-dawn attack while another officer Altaf Hussain was injured. The injured was airlifted for treatment to Karachi. The assailants had also kidnapped electronics engineer Mehmudullah Niazi from the airport. Niazi’s bullet-riddled body was later found from a nearby area. The police sources said that the kidnapped engineer was shot from a close range.
Aviation authorities said the attack caused some damage to the radar system.
At least six miscreants riding motorcycles were involved in the attack on the Jiwani Airport, police said.
According to sources, security was not tight in and around the airport at the time of the attack. The assailants sped away on their motorcycles after the attack.
Sources said the attackers damaged technical aviation equipment and destroyed the VOR system that helps during landing of aircraft.
Police and personnel of other law enforcement agencies reached the spot and started an investigation into the incident.
The banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attack. Meerak Baloch, a spokesman for the BLA, claimed responsibility for the attack in a telephone call to AFP.
Officials said the Jiwani airport in Gwadar District was not functional for the past few years.
Balochistan Chief Minister Abdul Malik Baloch condemned the attack and expressed grief over the loss of innocent lives. He also directed the district administration and police officials to file a report in this regard.
Meanwhile, unidentified gunmen shot dead a man in the Duki area of Loralai district.
Levies sources said that gunmen opened fire at Naseebullah when he was on his way in the Naseebabad area. As a result, he died on the spot. The body of the deceased was handed over to the heirs after legal formalities.
The Levies force have registered a case and started an investigation.
On the other hand, unknown armed men shot and injured a man in the Sangani area of Turbat district.
According to Levies sources, the victim Muhammad Naeem was on his way home when armed assailants riding a motorbike opened fire at him and managed to escape.
As a result, he received wounds and was rushed to a nearby hospital for medical aid. The Levies force registered a case and started an investigation.