Pakistan: Cop among five killed in attack on police station in Balochistan

In the restive southwest region of Balochistan in Pakistan, terrorists attacked a police station on Wednesday, killing at least five people—including a policeman—and injuring two more. Authorities reported that early in the morning, some twenty militants stormed the Naseerabad Police Station located in the Turbat district of the dangerous province. Constables Essa and Hassan attempted to confront the attackers, but the former was slain while Hassan was overcome, according to District Police Officer Muhammad Baloch, who verified the attack. The two policemen’s firearms were taken by the attacker. The other four killed in the attack were labourers who had come to spend the night at the police station due to fear of attack by the militants after gunmen had killed six workers in an attack on October 14 in Satellite Town of Turbat. After the attack, the local authorities had asked the workers coming from outside of the province to stay at police stations during the night until the security situation improved. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. Such attacks are carried out by the Baloch nationalists against the poor workers mostly belonging to the neighbouring Punjab province who come to the Balochistan province in search of work. The Baloch extremists allege that the outsiders, especially from the Punjab, steal local jobs and resources and target them. Balochistan caretaker Chief Minister Ali Mardan Khan Domki expressed regret over the deaths, terming the attack condemnable and intolerable. “No religion in the world allows terrorism, he said. The killing of labourers is a sad incident and the involved elements will be brought to justice.” Balochistan, bordering Iran and Afghanistan, is home to a long-running violent insurgency. Baloch insurgent groups have previously carried out several attacks targeting the USD 60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor projects in the region. (with inputs from agencies)