QUETTA: Three security personnel, including two officials of the Eagle Squad, were gunned down and four others injured in two separate gunfights — an attack on a police station in Jhal Magsi and an ambush on a patrolling squad in Quetta’s Eastern Bypass area — on Monday.
Officials said a group of armed men attacked the Kotra Police Station in Gandawah Circle of Jhal Magsi district. They tried to take over the station by cordoning it off and opening fire. However, the police contingent deployed at the station immediately took positions on the roof and returned fire.
SSP Jhal Magsi, Rehmatullah, said the attackers used rockets and heavy weapons. Police personnel offered full resistance, and local residents also came out of their homes to assist the police.
“The heavy exchange of fire continued for around one and a half hours,” the SSP said, adding that the police successfully foiled the attempt to capture the station, forcing the attackers to flee.
Following the attack, security forces launched an operation to pursue the armed men. During this engagement, one security personnel lost his life and three others were injured.
A senior district official said the police had been on high alert for the past two weeks due to prior intelligence about such an attack. Locals reportedly took positions on the roof of the police station to support law enforcement during the assault.
In Quetta, two personnel of the Balochistan Police Eagle Squad were gunned down while on patrol in the Eastern Bypass area of the provincial capital late Monday evening. Police said unknown armed men opened fire on the patrol with automatic weapons, causing multiple bullet injuries. One Eagle Squad constable was also injured in the attack.
The police cordoned off the area and shifted the bodies to Civil Hospital. The deceased were identified as Constable Muhammad Noor and Constable Muhammad. A search operation has been launched to trace the armed men involved in the attack.
