QUETTA, Jan 2: Fighting between security forces and tribesmen continued for the second straight day on Monday, with Jamhoori Watan Party sources claiming that two persons were killed and eight women and children suffered injuries in the exchange of fire.
A government official claimed that a camp of outlaws in the Bekar area had been smashed.
JWP’s secretary-general Agha Shahid Hasan Bugti alleged that the Frontier Corps opened fire at 1.30pm in the Jori area near Dera Bugti resulting in the death of Shah Dost Bugti and a woman. Three women and five children also suffered injuries.
He claimed that security forces also attacked tribesmen near the Loti gas field area “but owing to stiff resistance the militia beat a retreat”.
He asserted that 16 vehicles, including the armoured ones, moved from the Sui area towards Dera Bugti and attacked tribesmen in the Peshbaghoee area where an exchange of fire was continuing.
Talking to Dawn, he said that at 6.30pm security forces fired rocket at Wagu area lying between Dera Bugti and Kohlu, adding that the militiamen also fired rockets at Bekar area but tribesmen returned fire.
District Coordination Officer Dera Bugti Abdul Samad Lasi accused the tribesmen of launching rocket attack from two sides on the Loti gas field at 2pm to capture it but the security forces acted to push them back.
Talking to this correspondent, he accused Nawab Akbar Bugti’s men of also launching attack at different places on Sunday to wrest control of the Sui gas installations. He said at 5pm tribesmen fired rockets at the FC checkpoint in the Patarnal area between Dera Bugti and Kohlu.
Mr Lasi asserted that “today’s main achievement was dismantling of a camp of outlaws” at Mrunj in Baker, near Rajanpur of Punjab. The criminals escaped from the area. A manhunt was going on to nab the outlaws.
