QUETTA: Militants attacked a military base in northern Balochistan on Wednesday morning, killing at least four soldiers and critically injuring another five, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.
At least three militants were killed in the retaliatory fire and an operation was underway to apprehend two other attackers, the media wing of the army added.
Several militants stormed the military base in Northern Balochistan in the early hours, attacking with guns and hand grenades, security sources told Reuters.
Earlier in the day, Azeem Kakar, deputy commissioner of the Zhob, where the attack occurred, said unidentified men attacked the cantonment area in the district, following which five of them were killed in retaliatory fire.
Kakar said “nothing can be said about the number of attackers”, but added that all departments were on alert and an operation was underway.
He further said that a woman was killed after being caught in the crossfire while five other pedestrians were left wounded. He added that the wounded were being referred to Quetta.
According to him, a passenger bus coming from Dera Ismail Khan was also caught in the firing.
INCREASE IN ATTACKS
The first half of 2023 has seen a steady and alarming rise in terror incidents in Pakistan, the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) said.
The PICSS revealed in a report that a total of 271 militant attacks occurred during this period, resulting in the loss of 389 lives and injury of 656 individuals.
Comparatively, the same timeframe last year witnessed 151 attacks, causing 293 deaths and 487 injuries, the report said.
Additionally, a surge in suicide attacks was also observed during the first half of 2023, with 13 such attacks resulting in 142 deaths and 309 injuries.
In comparison, only five suicide attacks were reported during the corresponding period of the previous year, causing 77 deaths and 225 injuries, according to the report.
With Reuters
