Armed assailants attacked two security forces’ camps in Pakistan's restive southwestern Balochistan province, triggering an intense crossfire in which at least 13 Balochistan rebels and seven soldiers were killed, the Army said on Thursday.
Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), claimed the attack that took place in Panjgur and Noshki districts on Wednesday. In Panjgur, the terrorists tried to enter a security forces' camp from two locations while in Noshki they attempted to get into a Frontier Corps (FC) post.
After successfully repulsing the attacks at both posts, the forces carried out a clearance operation to hunt down the "terrorists" hiding in the area, according to a statement by the Pakistan Army.
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Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed said in a video message that nine "terrorists" and four soldiers were killed in Noshki.
"The terrorists were repulsed from both places by the Pakistan Army. A few — four to five people — are surrounded by the army in Panjgur and will be defeated," he said, terming it a "great success" against terrorism.
Prime Minister Imran Khan took to Twitter on Thursday to congratulate the security forces for foiling the terror attacks on their camps in Balochistan.
"We salute our brave security forces who repulsed terrorist attacks against security forces' camps in Panjgur & Naushki, Balochistan. The nation stands united behind our security forces who continue to give great sacrifices to protect us,” he wrote.
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Earlier in a statement, the military’s media wing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said: "both attacks were successfully repulsed, inflicting heavy casualties on terrorists”.
A Frontier Corps spokesperson also confirmed that two blasts had taken place near the camps in Panjgur and Noshki which were followed by intense firing.
The BLA claimed responsibility for the attacks in a statement. The separatist outfit has recently stepped up attacks on security forces and installations.
The attacks on Wednesday were the latest in a string of such assaults in Balochistan and come a week after ten soldiers were killed in an attack on a security forces' checkpost in the province's Kech district.
Three Levies Force personnel and a Bugti tribal leader were killed and eight others injured on January 28 in bomb blasts in the Sui area of Dera Bugti.
On January 30, at least 17 people, including two policemen, were injured in a grenade attack in Dera Allahyar town of Jaffarabad district.
Balochistan is the largest province of Pakistan in terms of landmass. It is also home to the multi-billion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project.
