Pakistan dam construction checkpoint attacked, 9 police officers killed

(CNA Pakistan, Quetta, July 7 - Reuters) Pakistani officials said today that armed militants attacked a checkpoint at a dam construction site in the southwestern province of Balochistan, killing 9 police officers and leaving several others missing.

Senior local official Abdul Qudoos told Agence France-Presse, "The checkpoint responsible for guarding the Mangi Dam construction site was attacked, resulting in the deaths of 9 police officers, with several others unaccounted for."

Shahid Rind, a spokesman for the Balochistan provincial government, said in a statement that paramilitary forces, police, and counter-terrorism personnel had "successfully carried out a joint clearance operation" against the militants.

The provincial government spokesman also confirmed a total of 9 deaths, including senior police officers from multiple stations, and attributed the attack to Islamic militants.

Pakistan has been battling a separatist insurgency in Balochistan for years, with militants targeting the country's forces, foreign investments, and infrastructure projects in the region. The province is rich in mineral resources and borders Afghanistan and Iran.

Armed attacks in Pakistan's border regions have intensified recently. Pakistan believes these attacks originate from Afghanistan, but Afghan authorities have repeatedly denied involvement.

Pakistan has launched airstrikes into Afghanistan in recent months, claiming to target militants, but Afghan Taliban government officials and the United Nations have stated that the airstrikes resulted in the deaths of dozens of civilians. (Compiled by Hung Pei-ying) 1150707

Stand with the facts. Your every donation is a force to protect press freedom.

Download the CNA "First-Hand News" APP to get the latest news in real-time.

No reproduction, public broadcast, public transmission, or use of the text, images, or videos on this website is permitted without authorization.