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In yet another alarming reminder of Balochistan's worsening security climate, unidentified armed men carried out two separate attacks on Tuesday evening, one in Kachhi district and the other in Quetta, raising fresh questions about the state's preparedness and ongoing neglect of the region's security needs, as reported by Dawn.
In two separate incidents, unidentified armed groups attacked a police station in Kachhi district and targeted a security checkpoint on Quetta's Western Bypass with hand grenades. According to officials, around 20 heavily armed assailants stormed the Khattan Police Station in Kachhi district. The outpost, recently set up inside a repurposed Livestock Department building following the merger of levies personnel into the police force, proved highly vulnerable. According to the Dawn, the attackers forced their way into the modest two-room facility, set official records and furniture ablaze, and looted weapons. They fled with an SMG and a G-3 assault rifle, along with a mobile phone and a privately owned motorcycle. A senior official told Dawn that former levies personnel stationed nearby were unable to mount an effective response given the overwhelming number of attackers. Fortunately, no casualties or injuries were reported. Police and security forces arrived shortly after the incident and began a joint search operation in an effort to track down the perpetrators. The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), Sibi Range, has launched a deeper investigation into the attack. In the second incident the same evening, unidentified motorcyclists targeted a security forces checkpoint near Quetta's Western Bypass by lobbing two hand grenades. Although the explosives detonated near the post, no loss of life or damage was reported. Security personnel returned fire, but the assailants escaped under the cover of darkness. A search operation was later conducted to sweep the surrounding area, as highlighted by Dawn. The twin attacks add to a growing pattern of assaults across Balochistan, intensifying concerns over inadequate policing resources, weak security presence in remote districts, and the government's continued failure to address the province's long-standing grievances and instability. (ANI)
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