Levies official, three FC men martyred in Kalat, Kech attacks

QUETTA: Four security personnel, including three FC men and a levies official, were martyred and eight others injured in armed attacks at levies and FC posts in Kalat and Kech districts of Balochistan, during the last 24 hours while the police station in Noshki was also attacked with a hand grenade on Sunday.

Officials said that the Levies check-post was targeted in the Togho-Chpeer area of Kalat district in the early hours of Sunday.

The spokesman for the Balochistan government, while confirming the attack, said that unknown armed men attacked the check-post. The levies personnel deployed at the check-post immediately retaliated and returned the fire. The exchange of fire continued for some time after which the armed men escaped from the site. “As result of exchange of fire, one levies personnel lost his life while two others were injured seriously,” Shahid Rind said, adding that after receiving information levies forces rushed to the site and shifted the body and injured to district hospital Kalat.

The levies personnel martyred in the armed attack was identified as Ali Nawaz Langove while injured include Ghulam Ali and Muhammad Ayub Langove. “A search operation is underway in the area to trace out the attackers,” officials said.

According to reports, unknown armed men attacked a check-post of the Frontier Corps in Kech district between the night of Saturday and Sunday. Officials said that the personnel of security forces engaged the attackers from the check-post located at a mountain. However, three soldiers were martyred and six others injured in the heavy gun battle.

The injured and bodies were shifted to hospital where the martyred FC personnel were identified as Naik Gul Sanat, L-NK Rana Zakir and sepoy Lakhmir. Officials said that the condition of two injured was serious. All the injured were sent to Quetta for treatment. Late Lakhmir belonged to district Nasirabad area of Balochistan. Security forces have launched a search operation in the area as more FC troops moved to the area after the attack on the check-post.

Reports suggested that armed men also attempted to attack two more police and levies stations in Mashkey last night. However, levies and police offered resistance and foiled their attempt.

Meanwhile, unknown armed men attacked a police station throwing a hand grenade in Noshki late evening. Officials said that motorcyclists hurled a grenade at the building of Noshki police station which exploded near the police station.

Sources said that armed men also opened fire which the police personnel returned, forcing the armed men to escape. No casualty was reported in the grenade attack. A wall of the police station was slightly affected in the blast.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the terrorist attack on Levies check-post in Kalat. The prime minster prayed for the high ranks of shaheed personnel and for the bereaved family to bear the loss with fortitude, the PM Office said in a press release.

The premier also paid tribute to martyred personnel, Ali Nawaz, and prayed for the early recovery of the injured. He said terrorists were the enemies of the development and progress of Balochistan province and reiterated that terrorists’ nefarious designs would not be allowed to succeed.