Nine police killed in attack on Pakistan dam project post
Officials in Balochistan said security forces recovered eight abducted officers and killed 15 attackers after the assault.
By Daniel Okafor · Business Editor
2 min read
At least nine police officers were killed when armed men attacked a police post at a dam project in southwestern Pakistan, police and local officials said Tuesday. The assault adds to a run of attacks on security forces and infrastructure in Balochistan, a province where officials say armed groups have long targeted the state.
Local police official Zahoor Ahmad said the dead included two officers. Officials did not immediately give a precise location for the police post beyond saying it was at a dam project in the province.
Shahid Rind, a spokesman for the Balochistan government, said the attackers also seized eight police officers during the assault. Rind said security forces later recovered all eight.
According to Rind, paramilitary forces, police and counterterrorism personnel carried out a joint clearance operation after the attack. He said 15 assailants were killed in that operation.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. Rind accused the Pakistan Taliban, known as the TTP, of carrying it out, but he did not provide evidence for that claim.
Attack follows years of unrest in Balochistan
Pakistani authorities have fought armed groups for years in Balochistan, according to officials. The province borders Afghanistan and Iran and is rich in minerals, and officials say militants have targeted state forces, foreign investment and infrastructure projects there.
The TTP is separate from the Afghan Taliban, according to officials cited by AFP and Reuters. The group also has a presence in Balochistan and has fought for years against the government in Islamabad, those reports said.
The attack came after other recent violence involving security forces in Pakistan. Officials have reported clashes and bombings in recent weeks in other parts of the country, including along the Afghan border and in northwestern Pakistan.
Authorities did not immediately release further details on the identities of the dead officers or the condition of the recovered personnel. Officials also did not say whether any civilians were killed or wounded in the attack.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.