Bodies of 21 Kidnapped Pakistani Police Officers Found in Balochistan
The bodies of 21 police officers who were shot dead after being kidnapped were discovered on Thursday in the village of Mangidam, in the Ziarat district of Pakistan’s Balochistan province, and were transferred to Quetta’s government hospital. With the arrival of these bodies, the total number of victims in the attack on a Pakistani military convoy on the Karachi-Quetta highway has risen to 30.
According to a list released by Quetta’s government hospital, 14 of the victims were residents of Ziarat district, three from Sanjawi, and one each from the districts of Musakhail, Loralai, Qila Abdullah, as well as one from the Sarghodha district in Punjab province.
The incident began on Wednesday, July 8, when militants blocked the Karachi-Quetta highway and extorted money from travellers and local residents. According to sources, clashes intensified after the military convoy was targeted with an improvised explosive device.
So far, no group has officially claimed responsibility for this attack. The incident occurred just one day after a separate clash in the Ziarat area, where nine police personnel were killed; that attack was claimed by the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, the spokesperson for the Pakistan Army’s public relations, announced at a press conference on Thursday that during security forces’ operations in Ziarat district, 15 militants were also killed.
Meanwhile, a protest sit-in in the city of Quetta in response to the recent security incidents has entered its fifth day. Participants have emphasized that they will continue to protest until their demands are met and are calling for direct talks with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the country’s army chief.
Balochistan province, which is rich in mineral resources and serves as a key route in the multibillion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, has in recent years witnessed separatist group activities and an increase in armed attacks.
