Seven security personnel were martyred in two separate terrorist attacks in Balochistan in an increased wave of militant attacks on security forces in the restive province during the current month.
According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), six soldiers including a junior commissioned officer (JCO) and a civilian driver embraced martyrdom in an improvised explosive device (IED) attack on Frontier Corps (FC) vehicle in Pir Ghaib, Mach area late Monday night.
They were identified as Naib Subedar Ihsan Ullah Khan, Naik Zubair Khan, Naik Ijaz Ahmed, Naik Maula Bux, Naik Noor Muhammad and driver Abdul Jabbar.
In another incident, a Sepoy Imdad Ali embraced martyrdom during exchange of fire with terrorists near Mand area Kech, the ISPR added.
Two different Baloch separatist organisations claimed responsibility for the attacks. A banned militant outfit, United Baloch Army (UBA) claimed responsibility for the attack in Pir Ghaib while another proscribed militant organization, Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) for the attack in Mand area of Kech district.
This was the second major terror attack in which security forces have been targeted by the Baloch separatists during the current month.
On May 8, 2020, six security personnel including an officer were killed in an explosion in Buleda tehsil of Kech district around 14km from the border with Iran, which was claimed by the banned separatist organization Baloch Liberation Army (BLA).
Kech is close to Iran's border and sources said that the militants often cross into Iran after attacking security forces.
The constant attacks on the security forces close to Iranian border prompted Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa to telephone his Iranian counterpart on May 12 in which, according to ISPR, he expressed concern over the attacks on the security forces and the duo also agreed to enhance security measures on both sides of the border.
According to data compiled by Business Recorder from different independent think tanks, in 2020 the country witnessed 21 major terror attacks in which 146 including security personnel were killed and 67 injured; 12 terror attacks occurred in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa mostly in the merged districts, eight in Balochistan and one in Punjab.
In May, so far four terror attacks have taken place, killing 17 people including 13 personnel from security forces.
In April, 40 were killed in seven terror attacks and two others injured while in March the country witnessed two terror attacks in which 14 were killed and one injured.
As many as six terror attacks occurred in February in which 52 were killed and 38 injured while two terror attacks took place in January in which 17 were killed and 20 injured.
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