9 cops killed in terrorist attack in Pak

At least nine policemen were killed in a terrorist attack at a police post in Pakistan’s Balochistan province, officials said on Tuesday.

The incident took place on Monday night at the police post in Ziarat district’s Mangi Dam area.

Ziarat Deputy Commissioner Abdul Qudoos Achakzai confirmed that nine policemen were killed and further added that five remain missing, Dawn newspaper reported. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack and paid tribute to those killed, state broadcaster PTV reported.

Additional personnel have been dispatched to the area, and an operation to recover the missing police officials is underway, Achakzai said. Those killed included the station house officers of Mangi and Kawas police stations and Anti-Terrorist Force in-charge, Head Constable Saifullah, Balochistan Chief Minister’s aide Shahid Rind said in a statement.

Meanwhile, in a separate statement, Rind said that 15 terrorists of the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were killed in the clearance operation initiated following the attack. TTP, a militant group, is designated as a terrorist organisation by the United Nations.