2 policemen martyred, 15 others injured in gun-and-explosive attack in Balochistan

Two policemen were martyred and at least 15 others, including six civilians, were wounded in a gun and explosive attack on the office of the deputy inspector general of police, Loralai, Balochistan, officials said.

Inspector General of Police Balochistan Mohsin Hassan Butt confirmed the attack and said that a recruitment test for police clerks was the target of the attack. The office was initially fired on, which was followed by an explosion, he said. The nature of the blast is yet to be ascertained.

Medical Superintendent of Loralai Civil Hospital Dr Faheem Kakar said that of the 15 injured brought to the hospital, two civilians were in critical condition and were shifted to the Combined Military Hospital, Loralai. He also confirmed that two policemen lost their lives in the attack.

On Jan 1, in a similar attack in the same district, four security personnel were martyred during an exchange of fire with terrorists trying to storm the residential and administration compound inside a Frontier Corps (FC) training centre.

According to an Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) release, security personnel had foiled the terrorists’ attempt to enter the facility. During the operation, one of the attackers had blown himself up. Later, four terrorists were killed in the clearance operation undertaken by security forces in response to the attack.