QUETTA: A 16-year-old boy was killed, and seven others were injured in a terrorist attack on Tuesday in Mastung district. Security forces killed two Indian-backed assailants during a counter-operation, a government official confirmed.
Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind said the terrorists targeted key government buildings, including the Tehsil office, a local bank, and other administrative facilities. The assailants opened fire indiscriminately, resulting in the death of the teenager and injuries to at least seven others. Police stated that the attackers entered the city in the morning, setting fire to government offices and two banks.
In response, security forces from the Frontier Corps (FC), Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), and Levies Force launched a counter-operation. After an intense firefight, two terrorists were killed, and three others were injured. Rind mentioned that the attackers were affiliated with “Fitna al Hindustan,” a network linked to Indian-backed insurgents destabilizing Balochistan.
Mastung Deputy Commissioner Athar Abbas Raja described the situation as chaotic, with multiple gunshots and explosions heard around 11:00 am, sparking panic among residents. “The area was quickly locked down, and security teams took control,” Raja added.
Rind stated that a large-scale operation against terrorists was underway, with security forces conducting clearance and intelligence-based operations to ensure public safety and arrest the attackers and their accomplices.
The rise in terrorist attacks in Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) provinces has been alarming, with many attributed to foreign-backed insurgents. In K-P, a successful operation in Kurram district killed two terrorists, Hafeezur Rehman and Wajid Gul, who had bounties of Rs5 million each. The two men were reportedly involved in the 2023 killing of five teachers in Teri Mangal.
Additionally, in Lakki Marwat district’s Tajazai area, two traffic police officers, Israeel and Sanaullah, were fatally shot by unidentified assailants. K-P Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur condemned the killings and assured full state honors for the officers. The investigation into the incident is ongoing.
