Quetta - Four security personnel were martyred and three others seriously wounded on Sunday in a roadside bomb explosion near Balochistan’s Turbat town.

The victim Frontier Corps personnel were on patrol when their vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device (IED) in Mand area, according to security sources.

Banned militant group Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) claimed responsibility for the deadly attack.

Heavy contingents of law enforcement agencies rushed to the crime spot and launched a search for the culprits. The martyred and wounded soldiers were taken to a local hospital.

An official statement said the security forces remain determined and they will leave no stone unturned for the safety of people.

Chief Minister Nawab Sanaullah Zehri deplored the bomb attack and expressed his grief over the demise of security officials.

He said the brave soldiers were ensuring safety of borders and public lives by sacrificing their own lives and their worthy sacrifices won’t go waste.

The CM said the military, paramilitary forces and police were targeting terrorists heavily and they have broken their back, expressing resolve to wipe out the remaining anti-state elements.

Zehri in a press statement also expressed condolence and sympathy with the victim families and prayed for the early recovery of wounded soldiers.

FOUR INJURED IN QUETTA FIRING

Four people including two policemen sustained bullet injuries in exchange of fire between security forces and motorcyclists at Joint Road here on Sunday.

As per details, the FC men, at a checkpost, singled two men riding a motorcycle to stop their bike for violating the pillion-riding ban at Joint Road Quetta. However, they did not stop and ignored order of the security forces.

The security personnel chased the motorcyclists and stopped them for failing to obey the instructions which triggered exchange of harsh words followed by firing. The police said the two wounded were security men.

As a result of firing, hawaldar Muhammad Afzal, constable Shafqat and two civilians Mehboob and Abdul Hammad sustained injuries and were shifted to hospital. The Civil Lines police were investigating the matter.

Agencies add: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif strongly condemned the attack on Frontier Corps vehicle at Turbat.

The prime minister reiterated govt’s resolve to fight against the terrorists till the motherland was cleared of all such elements. The prime minister expressed his deep grief over the loss of precious lives and prayed for the departed souls.

He also expressed condolences with the bereaved families, the PM office media wing said in a press release issued in Islamabad.

Balochistan is the largest of Pakistan’s four provinces in area but has scattered population, roughly seven million. The province borders both war-torn Afghanistan and Iran. The Sunday’s incident happened close to Iran’s border.

This south-western province has long dealt with an insurgency by nationalist and separatists groups who want bigger shares in regional resources. Taliban- and al-Qaida-linked sectarian outfits also operate in the region.

In the intermittent fight, which has been continuing since 2004, hundreds of soldiers and militants have been killed. And the tide is turning now.

Around 500 Baloch rebel militants on Friday surrendered to the government as Islamabad pursues its development agenda linked to the ambitious China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in the southwest province.

A greater push towards peace and development by Pakistani authorities, including starting work on roads and infrastructure under the Chinese-assisted CPEC project – which connects Balochistan’s deep sea port of Gwadar to China – has reduced the violence considerably.

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sustained bullet injuries in exchange of fire between security forces and motorcyclists at Joint Road here on Sunday.

As per details, the FC men, at a checkpost, singled two men riding a motorcycle to stop their bike for violating the pillion-riding ban at Joint Road Quetta. However, they did not stop and ignored order of the security forces.

The security personnel chased the motorcyclists and stopped them for failing to obey the instructions which triggered exchange of harsh words followed by firing. The police said the two wounded were security men.

As a result of firing, hawaldar Muhammad Afzal, constable Shafqat and two civilians Mehboob and Abdul Hammad sustained injuries and were shifted to hospital. The Civil Lines police were investigating the matter.

Agencies add: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif strongly condemned the attack on Frontier Corps vehicle at Turbat.

The prime minister reiterated govt’s resolve to fight against the terrorists till the motherland was cleared of all such elements. The prime minister expressed his deep grief over the loss of precious lives and prayed for the departed souls.

He also expressed condolences with the bereaved families, the PM office media wing said in a press release issued in Islamabad.

Balochistan is the largest of Pakistan’s four provinces in area but has scattered population, roughly seven million. The province borders both war-torn Afghanistan and Iran. The Sunday’s incident happened close to Iran’s border.

This south-western province has long dealt with an insurgency by nationalist and separatists groups who want bigger shares in regional resources. Taliban- and al-Qaida-linked sectarian outfits also operate in the region.

In the intermittent fight, which has been continuing since 2004, hundreds of soldiers and militants have been killed. And the tide is turning now.

Around 500 Baloch rebel militants on Friday surrendered to the government as Islamabad pursues its development agenda linked to the ambitious China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in the southwest province.

A greater push towards peace and development by Pakistani authorities, including starting work on roads and infrastructure under the Chinese-assisted CPEC project – which connects Balochistan’s deep sea port of Gwadar to China – has reduced the violence considerably.