Pakistan: Baloch Militants Attack Gawadar Port Authority Complex, 7 Terrorists Killed

At least seven terrorists were killed after Pakistani forces foiled the attack by Baloch militants who stormed the Gwadar Port Authority complex in Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province on Wednesday, as reported by news agency PTI. The terrorists were armed with automatic assault weapons.

The separatist Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) is opposed to China’s investments in Balochistan and accuses China and Pakistan of exploitation of the province, a charge rejected by the authorities.

Speaking to the media, Gwadar Senior Superintendent of Police Zohaib Mohsin said that “seven attackers have been killed and the firing has stopped,” as reported by PTI. The attack was confirmed by Commissioner Makran Division Saeed Ahmed Umrani. He said that the attackers entered the Gwadar Port Authority building and the clearing operation was going on.

Earlier, local media reported that eight terrorists were killed in clashes. So far there was no word on killing any security person or civilian.

In a statement, the United Nations Department for Safety and Security said that seven personnel from three UN agencies based in Gwadar and two UN agencies on missions were “safe and accounted for”. According to PTI, the Majeed Brigade of the proscribed Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attack. It is the suicide squad of the BLA and mostly targets security forces and Chinese interests.

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Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti hailed security agencies for their response against the attackers, saying that “the message is loud and clear.” He further stated that “whosoever chooses to use violence will see no mercy from the state.”

Balochistan, bordering Iran and Afghanistan, is home to a long-running violent insurgency. d Baloch terrorists. The attack comes on a day when Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif asserted that his government will not tolerate any acts of cross-border terrorism.

The incidents of terrorism have increased in Pakistan since the Taliban took over the government in Kabul, dashing hopes in Islamabad that a friendly government in Afghanistan would help to tackle militancy.