28 July 2004	Wednesday	10 Jamadi-us-Saani 1425

QUETTA, July 27: Two people were killed and one was injured in an exchange of fire between members of the Frontier Corps and alleged smugglers near Qila Abdullah, some 100 kilometres north of here, on Tuesday.

The incident took place on Monday-Tuesday night, official sources told Dawn on Tuesday by telephone from the border town of Chaman. The traffic was suspended at the main national highway linking Quetta with border town of Chaman and southern Afghanistan as hundreds of protesting people took to the streets and blocked the road, putting barricades against the killing of the two people allegedly by the Frontier Constabulary men.

They pelted stones at passing vehicles and personnel of law-enforcement agencies. According to FC sources, members of the Frontier Corps tried to intercept a convoy of around 14 pick-ups at a checkpoint near Qila Abdullah who they claimed to be carrying contraband items. However, the drivers of the vehicles did not stop and tried to escape.

The FC men intercepted the two vehicles while others escaped. In the meanwhile the people travelling in the other pick-ups came back to the area after parking their vehicles and started pelting stones at the checkpoint.

The FC sources claimed that the people also fired on the checkpoint. The FC men returned fire and the exchange of fire continued for at least one hour, killing two people and injuring one.

Those killed in the firing have been identified as Fazal Mohammad and Mohammad Daud whose bodies were later handed over to their relatives. The injured was shifted to Quetta. The people protesting against the incident in the area, accused the Frontier Corps members of killing two people.