Four Pakistan police personnel injured in blast in Balochistan’s Mastung

Quetta, June 28 (IANS) Four police personnel were injured after a bomb exploded near their vehicle in the Dasht area of Mastung district of Pakistan’s Balochistan province, local media reported on Sunday.

An explosive device was planted by unidentified assailants along the Mian Ghandi Link Road near Pir Wali on Saturday, and the blast took place when the police vehicle carrying prisoners from Dasht court to Mastung jail passed through the location, police said, The Express Tribune reported. The vehicle suffered damage in the explosion.

SHO, Dasht, Akhtar Muhammad said that the four police personnel were injured in the explosion and were provided medical treatment at the site of the incident. After the explosion, heavy contingents of security forces rushed to the site of the incident, cordoned off the area, and launched a search operation.

The incident occurred amid a rise in attacks targeting law enforcement personnel in Pakistan, especially the border provinces of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

On June 14, two police personnel were killed, and six others were injured after a suicide attack targeted a police check post in the Wahwa area near the Punjab-Khyber Pakhtunkhwa border.

The police check post also suffered extensive damage due to the suicide attack. An explosion took place on Sunday after unidentified assailants rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into the main gate of the checkpost, according to officials, The Express Tribune reported.

District Police Officer Muhammad Sadiq Baloch stated that two police personnel succumbed to their injuries while six other police personnel were seriously injured in the attack. All the injured personnel were taken to the hospital for treatment.

Officials said the check post structure was completely destroyed in the blast. The blast also led to the collapse of the roofs and walls of several houses in the nearby area. Furthermore, more than a dozen local residents were injured in the attack.

Speaking to reporters, Sadiq Baloch said that the suicide bomber was also killed in the blast, and further investigations have been launched into the attack.

Earlier this month, the monthly security assessment released by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) revealed that the security situation in the country deteriorated in May, particularly due to an increase in militant attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

The latest findings by PICSS showed an increase in militant attacks during May after a brief period of relative decline, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, the daily Dawn reported. The sharp rise in attacks, casualties, suicide bombings and kidnappings suggests that security challenges remain severe.

As many as 128 militant attacks occurred in May in comparison to 101 in April, showcasing a 27 per cent rise. As many as 71 people, 68 security personnel, and six members of peace committees were killed, while 147 people, 35 security personnel, and three peace committee members were injured in the violence in May.

Compared to April, civilian casualties rose from 37 to 71, showcasing a 92 per cent increase, while security personnel fatalities rose from 28 to 68, showcasing a 143 per cent increase. Pakistan witnessed six suicide attacks in May, causing the deaths of 34 security personnel and nine civilians, Dawn reported.

Balochistan was the most affected province of Pakistan in May as it recorded 71 militant attacks, in comparison to 34 in April, showcasing a 109 per cent rise. As many as 54 kidnappings occurred in Pakistan in May. Of them, 52 kidnappings took place in Balochistan alone.

–IANS

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