ISLAMABAD: Troops battled militants in Balochistan for a third day on Friday, with a security official saying attackers timed their assaults to derail Prime Minister Imran Khan's visit to China.
Three, including two desrcribed as high-value terrorists, were killed in the mop-up operation in Kech, taking their death toll to 16 on the third day of action. The Naushki assault was quashed on Thursday, but a senior security official said Friday an operation was still underway in Panjgur.
He said the attacks were timed to "malign Pakistan" during the premier's ongoing visit to China for the Winter Olympic Games. Khan and Chinese President Xi Jinping are due to discuss CPEC during his visit and the attack was carried out to raise questions "about the security situation", the official said.
"The attacks were aimed at sabotaging the visit," he added. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project has inflamed grievances and the Baloch separatists have frequently targeted Chinese interests.
The ISPR reported killing of three more terrorists, including two high-value targets at Balgatar, Kech, in a follow-up clearance operation conducted on a makeshift terrorist hideout linked with recent terrorist activities in Panjgur. The terrorists hideout was surrounded following a major intelligence tip-off and in an intense exchange of fire killed all the three terrorists hiding there.
They included terrorist commander Summair alias Bahar, terrorist commander Altaf alias Lalik and terrorist commander Phailan Baloch, who remained involved in terrorist activities against security forces in Hoshab, Panjgur and other areas. They also carried out several terrorist actions in other parts of the province. Cache of arms and ammunition was recovered from the hideout.
According to AFP, the BLA claimed holding a security camp in Panjgur, 40 hours after the initial assault. But the Pakistan security official insisted the situation was "well under control", and that the ongoing operation was only "to hunt down the remnants" from the attack.
Also in Chaman, six including two Levies personnel, were injured following a grenade explosion. The grenade was lobbed at the Levies check-post near a railways level crossing that left two personnel of the tribal force injured, besides four others, including a child.
Balochistan Chief Minister Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo condemned the attack and expressed the resolve that his government would ensure public security. Investigations were under way, while the injured were shifted to district headquarter hospital. The incident that damaged the Leveis check-post led to an alert being declared across the city.
