Panjgur Deputy Commissioner Zakir Hussain Baloch was tragically killed and four others injured in a brazen attack on the Quetta-Karachi National Highway near Mastung on Monday. The ambush took place as the DC’s convoy was en route to Quetta, accompanied by Panjgur Municipal Committee Chairman Abdul Malik Baloch.
According to security officials, the attackers, estimated to be around 15 armed men, had set up a roadblock near Khadkocha, Mastung. The assailants were stopping vehicles on the highway, and when the DC’s vehicle attempted to speed past, they opened fire.
Two members of the convoy sustained critical injuries and were rushed to Shaheed Nawab Ghous Bakhsh Memorial Hospital in Mastung. Hospital officials confirmed that Mr. Baloch succumbed to his injuries shortly after arrival due to severe internal bleeding caused by bullet wounds to his chest and abdomen. Abdul Malik Baloch, who also sustained multiple gunshot wounds, was transferred to Quetta for further medical treatment. His condition remains serious.
The attack has sparked outrage and concern, as Abdul Malik Baloch is the younger brother of Rehmat Baloch, the president of the Balochistan chapter of the National Party. Security forces have launched an extensive search operation in the area to apprehend the perpetrators, but no group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far.
Grenade attacks rock Quetta
In a separate series of violent incidents, Quetta was shaken by multiple grenade attacks on Monday. In Satellite Town, eight people, including a woman, were injured when unknown assailants on a motorcycle hurled a grenade at a police patrol vehicle in the Chalo-Barvri area. Fortunately, the police vehicle was not damaged, but the injured were swiftly transported to Civil Hospital for treatment.
Later that evening, another grenade attack occurred in the Sariab area of the city, targeting the Government Girls College in Sariab Mills. The explosion caused damage to the college building and shattered windows in nearby structures. No casualties were reported in this incident.