Balochistan: Church urges prayers for peace after nine police officers killed

A new armed attack took place at a checkpoint in the Ziarat District resulting in the death of nine agents and 15 suspected attackers during response operations. The Balochistan Liberation Army is suspected. Local Christian groups offer their sympathy for the victims, speaking out against the climate of fear in which people live.

Quetta (AsiaNews) - At least nine police officers were killed in an attack on a checkpoint in the Ziarat District of Balochistan, southwestern Pakistan.

The attack, carried out by dozens of armed men overnight on Monday and Tuesday, is among the most violent incidents in recent months and confirms the worsening security situation in a province, affected by a separatist insurgency for decades.

According to provincial government spokesman Shahid Rind, militants attacked the Mangi checkpoint with automatic weapons engaging in a shootout that lasted several hours.

During the attack, eight police officers were abducted, but security forces followed with an operation that freed them. The authorities reported that 15 attackers were killed during the action to retake the checkpoint.

Christian communities expressed their sympathy to the victims. Pentecostal Pastor Suleman Imtiaz, in the city of Bannu, said that his congregation continues to pray for peace in Balochistan and for the protection of the security forces, noting that many residents of the province now live "with fear and uncertainty”, unable to carry out even their daily activities with peace of mind.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, but suspicions have fallen on the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), the province’s main armed separatist organisation.

In recent months, the group has intensified attacks against security forces, government infrastructure, and projects linked to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Just a few days ago, it claimed responsibility for a suicide attack against another security post in the coastal town of Jiwani.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack, calling the slain police officers, "martyrs”, vowing to continue the fight against terrorism. "No one will be allowed to undermine peace in Balochistan," he said.

Without any evidence, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi blamed India, a long-standing practice in relations between the two neighbours.

Islamabad has long accused New Delhi of financing and arming Balochi separatists, accusations the Indian government has consistently rejected as unfounded.

For its part, India accuses Pakistan of backing separatist groups in Kashmir, where several Indian tourists died in an attack in Pahalgam last year.

The attack on the Ziarat checkpoint comes just days after another attack near Quetta, following which many residents called for increased security measures.

For more than 20 years, Balochistan has been the scene of a separatist insurgency fuelled by groups denouncing the central government's exploitation of the province’s natural resources.

In recent years, violence has also increased against major Chinese interests in the province.

The Port of Gwadar and the infrastructure of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor have been repeatedly targeted by armed groups.

• pakistan
• india
• china
• balochistan
• quetta
• ziarat
• armed attack
• checkpoint
• natural resources
• balochistan liberation army
• bla