QUETTA, Oct 19: Large areas in Barkhan and Kohlu districts plunged into darkness after a huge tower of the 132kv Rakhni-Barkhan transmission line was damaged by a rocket attack in the Badi area of Barkhan on Tuesday.

The attack on the tower caused suspension of power supply from the main transmission line, a spokesman of the Quetta Electric Supply Company (Qesco) told Dawn.

According to sources, saboteurs fired three rockets targeting the main Rakhni-Barkhan transmission line in the Shaheed Barkhan post near Badi on Tuesday evening.

Law-enforcement agencies deployed in the area fired back And the saboteurs escaped after exchange of fire.

Another rocket on Tuesday blew up the power transformer in Khatan on the outskirts of the Khuzdar township, while another live rocket targeting the township was defused by the experts.

The rocket was about to be launched at the Khuzdar township," a senior police officer of Khuzdar said, adding that it was a 107 MM Russian made rocket.