ISLAMABAD: Three police officers, one Frontier Corps (FC) soldier, and a militant were killed on Sunday when militants attacked a checkpost in southwestern Pakistan, a statement from the Balochistan chief minister confirmed.
The casualties occurred when militants attacked a checkpost in Balochistan's Sherani district, firing rockets at the security personnel, the Balochistan chief minister said in a statement.
"The chief minister expressed sorrow and regret at the martyrdom of three police officers and an FC soldier in the terrorist incident," a statement from Chief Minister Abdul Quddus Bizenjo said.
Bizenjo praised security forces for gunning down one militant in the retaliatory fire, adding that militant attacks cannot demoralize the armed forces with "cowardly" attacks.
"The nation stands with its security forces to foil the nefarious designs of anti-state elements," Bizenjo said.
Balochistan is Pakistan’s largest province by area and has been the scene of a decades-long insurgency by separatists who are demanding independence from the country, citing what they say is the state’s monopoly and exploitation of the region’s mineral resources.
Baloch separatist militants have mounted attacks on Pakistan's security forces ever since last year, when a fragile truce between the Pakistani Taliban and the state broke down in November 2022.
Pakistan has often blamed India for arming and facilitating Baloch militants, a charge New Delhi has always denied.
