QUETTA: The Pakistan army said on Wednesday four soldiers had been killed in an exchange of fire with militants who launched an attack on a garrison in the southwestern Balochistan province.
A new terrorist group, the Tehrik-e Jihad Pakistan (TJP), which announced itself in February this year, claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement shared with media. In the past, attacks on security forces and other targets in Balochistan have been carried out largely by the Baloch Liberation Army and other separatist groups that call for complete independence for the arid mountainous province that is Pakistan’s largest by territory but smallest by population and most backward in terms of almost all social and development indicators.
Balochistan is also home to a number of China-backed economic projects under its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), against which some militants have launched attacks.
“On 12 July 23, in early hours of the morning, a group of terrorists launched a dastardly attack on Zhob Garrison in Northern Balochistan,” the military’s media wing said in a statement, saying three militants and four soldiers had been killed in an exchange of fire.
“A clearance operation by security forces is underway to apprehend the remaining two terrorists as well.”
Azeem Kakar, Deputy Commissioner Zhob, told Arab News five militants had attacked the security compound at 2am with heavy guns and hand grenades.
“Five people were injured and three terrorists were killed in the attack but the security forces are still engaged to clear the compound,” Kakar said.
Balochistan borders Afghanistan to the north, Iran to the west and has a long coastline on the Arabian Sea. It has Pakistan’s largest natural gas field and is believed to have many more undiscovered reserves.
It is also rich in precious metals including gold, the production of which has grown over recent years.
Most separatist groups in Balochistan operate independently, but some recent reports in local media have pointed to increasing cooperation between them.
