Balochistan | Pakistan

Security forces on Sunday killed two terrorists and apprehended two others during an operation in Balochistan’s Duki district, a statement from the military’s media wing said. The statement, issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said that security forces conducted an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in the area upon the suspected presence of terrorists.. During the operation, security forces “effectively engaged the Indian-sponsored terrorists’ location, and after an intense fire exchange, two Indian-sponsored terrorists were sent to hell, while two terrorists were apprehended,” the ISPR said. Weapons, ammunition and explosives were seized from the dead terrorists, who, according to the military’s media wing, remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities in the area. “[A] sanitisation operation is being conducted to eliminate any other terrorist found in the area, as the security forces of Pakistan are determined to wipe out the menace of Indian sponsored terrorism from the cou...

A magnitude-5.3 earthquake struck Balochistan on Sunday morning, according to the United States Geological Survey. There were no immediate reports of casualties from the shallow quake, which USGS reported had occurred at around 3:30am with the epicentre almost 60 kilometres north-northeast of Barkhan city of Balochistan. Senior levies officer Tuqeer Shah told Dawn.com that the Earthquake hit vast areas of Rara Shaim, Kingri and others. According to initial reports, at least three people, including a couple, were injured in the Rara Shaim area of Barkhan after the roof of their house sustained damage. Over half a dozen houses have been damaged, while cracks have appeared in many others in Rara Shaim. Shah added that the injured have been admitted to the hospital, while teams have been sent to the impacted areas to see the scope of the damage. Pakistan straddles the boundary where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates meet, making the country susceptible to earthquakes. The region can be challenging to naviga...

ISLAMABAD - The World Bank Board of Executive Directors approved $194 million for two projects to enhance educational opportunities for children and boost water security in Balochistan.

Waqar Baloch, based in the bordering town of Jaheen in Balochistan’s Panjgur, was all set for his wedding next week. But for a groom, his anxiety was of a different kind— half of his family was in Iran, where Israel is waging a war. The ongoing standoff between Tehran and Tel Aviv has sent ripples across the Middle East, with both sides refusing to drop their guns. But while the global attention is fixated on the Mashriq, the conflict — which is feared to spiral into a third world war — has disrupted daily life in Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest and most underdeveloped province. The province, which shares a 909-kilometre border with Iran, has been reeling from food shortages, a surge in fuel prices, the risk of unemployment, and heightened security concerns ever since the Iran-Israel war broke out. Families like Waqar’s are bearing the brunt of these tensions. “One of my paternal uncles is a resident of Iran, and many of our family members live across the border,” he told Dawn.com. “They won’t be able to atte...

Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti on Sunday condemned the murder of Mir Attaur Rehman Mengal, the son of former Balochistan chief minister Naseer Mengal, in an armed clash when gunmen opened fire in district Khuzdar’s Wadh. Atta Mengal was the brother of Mir Shafiqur Rehman Mengal, a prominent tribal leader and head of the Jhalawan Awami Panel, a political party. Dawn.com has reached out to the police for a comment on the alleged murder. Bugti condemned the “cowardly terrorist attack” and expressed his heartfelt grief and sorrow over the killing of the younger Mengal. “He prayed for the bereaved family and expressed his best wishes for the speedy recovery of the injured grandson,” a statement from his office read. Bugti assured that the provincial government will conduct a thorough investigation into the incident and vowed that the terrorists will be brought to justice. “The people and government of Balochistan stand in solidarity against terrorism,” he added. Atta Mengal was killed while his son M...

• Six terrorists killed in police operations • Bodies of four men, including two soldiers, found in Mardan PESHAWAR / QUETTA: Six security personnel were martyred and as many terrorists gunned down in attacks and operations across Khyber Pakht­unkhwa and Balochistan, officials confirmed on Saturday. Meanwhile, the bodies of four men, including two army personnel, were found in Mardan. In Swabi, two police personnel were martyred on Friday midnight when unidentified motorcyclists opened fire, according to Swabi District Police Officer Azhar Khan. The martyred policemen were on duty in the Gadoon Amazai Industrial Estate police station and had stopped to drink water at a hotel when two assailants on motorcycles opened fire. Videos shared on social media showed the cops, Zahid Khan and Jamaluddin from Gadoon Amazai region, sitting on chairs when the attackers opened fire. Their funerals were held at Shahmansoor Police Lines. Mardan Regional Police Officer Najeebur Rehman, DPO Khan, SP Investigation Iftikhar Ali ...

he Balochistan government has unveiled plans to declare the historic Hinglaj Mata Temple in Lasbela district a global religious tourism destination, aiming to highlight the province’s cultural diversity and promote interfaith harmony.

QUETTA - Two people were martyred and 11 others injured on Monday when a bomb planted in a motorcycle exploded in the Barkhan district of Balochistan province.

• WWF-P adviser suggests the marine mammal may have died after becoming entangled in gillnets • The most recent sighting of the world’s largest mammal was off the coast of Gadani in April last year KARACHI: A 35-foot-long blue whale was found dead in the Arabian sea, in a remote area called Gwater Bay, between Pakistan and Iran, on Monday. According to officials representing the World Wide Fund for Nature-Pakistan (WWF-Pakistan), local fisherman Ahmad Baloch spotted the dead whale floating near Kuntani, Balochistan. “It is likely that the whale may have died a few days back in the open sea between Pakistan and Iran and drifted towards the Gwater Bay by rough sea and strong currents,” said Muhammad Moazzam Khan, technical adviser at the WWF-Pakistan. He added that while the exact cause of the death could not be ascertained, the marine mammal might have gotten entangled in gillnets, commonly used in the coastal and offshore waters in the area for fishing. Classified as an endangered species, blue whales, scient...

Two people were killed and 11 others injured on Monday when a bomb planted in a motorcycle exploded in Balochistan’s Barkhan district, officials said. Barkhan Deputy Commissioner Abdullah Khosa told Dawn.com, “The explosive material was planted in a motorcycle parked in the main market of Rakhni, Barkhan district. It resulted in the death of two people and injured 11 others.” Four of the injured were in critical condition and were immediately taken to a hospital Dera Ghazi Khan for treatment, Khosa said. He added that nearby shops, buildings, and one car were also damaged by the blast. “An emergency has been imposed in all hospitals across Barkhan following the blast, while police, Levies and Frontier Corps (FC) personnel reached the site of the incident and began collecting evidence,” he said, adding that law enforcement agencies have also cordoned off the area and begun a search for the suspects A similar incident occurred in March when four people were killed and five others were injured when an improvised...

The ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel has started affecting Balochistan, with the provincial government issuing orders on Sunday to close all borders and crossing points with Iran in Turbat, Panjgur and Gwadar for an indefinite period. The development comes as Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar confirmed that 450 Pakistani pilgrims were evacuated from Iran earlier today, with more to follow from the neighbouring country as well as from Iraq. Israel launched an air offensive against Iran on Friday, killing commanders and scientists and bombing nuclear sites in a stated bid to stop Tehran building an atomic weapon, which the latter has consistently denied, saying its uranium enrichment programme is for civilian purposes. According to statements issued by deputy commissioners (DC) across the province today, the Balochistan government has closed all Iranian borders adjacent to the Gwadar district and imposed a ban on travel corridors due to the deteriorating situation in the region. A statement issued by the Gwada...

Two terrorists belonging to Indian-proxy were killed after intense fire exchange in Balochistan’s Kachhi district, military’s media wing said on Friday. According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) today, security forces conducted an intelligence-based operation in the general area Kolpur of Balochistan’s Kachhi district on reported presence of terrorists belonging to “Indian proxy Fitna al Hindustan.” “During the conduct of operation, own forces effectively engaged the Fitna al Hindustan terrorists’ location, and after an intense fire exchange, two Indian sponsored terrorists were sent to hell,” ISPR said. The statement said that weapons and ammunition were also recovered from the terrorists, who remained “actively involved in numerous Indian sponsored terrorist activities in the area”. “Sanitisation operation is being conducted to eliminate any other terrrorist found in the area,” ISPR said, adding that the security forces were determined to wipeout the menace of Indian spon...

Security forces have killed two India-sponsored terrorists in an intelligence based operation in Kolpur area of Kachhi district in Balochistan.

Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti has strongly condemned what he termed as “Fitna-e-Hindustan,” holding it responsible for fuelling terrorism and unrest in Balochistan through foreign-backed proxy wars.

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar declared on Tuesday that Balochistan is the lifeline of Pakistan and vowed that a handful of terrorists will not destabilize the nation.

Tump Assistant Commissioner Muhammad Hanif Noorzai was abducted from Balochistan’s Kech district on Wednesday, an official told Dawn.com. According to Kech Deputy Commissioner Bashir Ahmed Barich, unidentified militants kidnapped the AC, who was posted at Tump, near the Iranian border. He said Noorzai was on his way from Quetta to Tump on Wednesday morning, but did not provide further details. Noorzai is from Quetta and has previously served as AC in different areas of the province. In September 2016, Asad Khan Tareen, son of then-Balochistan’s Minister for Local Government Sardar Mustafa Tareen — who had been kidnapped in May that year — was recovered from an area of Qila Abdulla district close to the Pak-Afghan border. Armed men kidnapped Asad Tareen in Pishin town on May 21 when he was returning from Cadet College Pishin, where he worked as a warden. He was reportedly taken across the border in Afghanistan. This is a developing story

RAWALPINDI - Security forces killed seven terrorists belonging to Indian proxy, Fitna al Hindustan in two separate operations in Balochistan.

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday praised the security forces for their successful counterterrorism operation in Mach and Murgand, Balochistan, in which seven militants associated with the group referred to as Fitna-e-Hindustan were neutralized.

Seven terrorists belonging to Indian proxy Fitna al Hindustan in two separate operations in Balochistan, the military’s media wing said on Tuesday. Despite heightened military tensions between Pakistan and India last month, militant groups were unable to significantly escalate their activities in the country, according to data released by an Islamabad-based independent think tank. The monthly security assessment issued by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) recorded 85 militant attacks in May as compared to 81 in April, resulting in 113 fatalities. These included 52 security forces personnel, 46 civilians, 11 militants, and four peace committee members. According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) today, “Seven terrorists belonging to Indian proxy, Fitna al Hindustan, were sent to hell in two separate operations in Balochistan.” An intelligence-based operation (IBO) was conducted in general area of Mach in Kachhi district on the reported presence o...

Pakistan’s security forces killed seven terrorists affiliated with the group “Fitna al-Hindustan” in two separate intelligence-based operations (IBOs) in Balochistan on Tuesday, according to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).