Man killed in blast; Kohlu pounded by security men
By Saleem Shahid
QUETTA, March 23: A man was killed and nine people, including two children, were injured in a bomb blast in Kohlu town on Thursday when gunship helicopters pounded different areas of Kohlu district in a new operation launched by security forces.
According to official sources, a powerful explosion shook a private public call office in the bazaar of Kohlu.
“Unknown people had planted a bomb inside the PCO that exploded when many people were making telephone calls,” a senior official of the Kohlu administration said.
As a result, the PCO was destroyed and 10 people were injured, he said. Those injured were taken to the district hospital where PCO owner Bahadur Khan died, the official said.
“It was a local made bomb,” police said and added that windowpanes of many other shops were smashed in the explosion.
After the blast, unknown men fired three rockets at Frontier Constabulary checkposts from the mountains but they missed the targets and exploded near the grid station. No casualty or loss was reported.
The FC personnel fired many rockets in retaliation.
Security forces launched another operation against armed tribesmen attacking government installations and security forces in different areas of Kohlu district, according to reports.
“Helicopter gun-ships are pounding Nisaio, Tartani and other areas of Kohlu district,” a spokesman for the Ittehad Mari told Dawn by telephone. He said that fighter jets could be seen in the sky.
Meanwhile, security forces recovered an anti-tank landmine in the Kahan area of Kohlu district.
In the Sui area, unknown assailants fired rockets at a gas pipeline, disrupting the supply from a well to a gas purification plant, sources said.
Reports say that security forces and armed men have been engaged in gunbattle in the Karmo-Wadh area since Wednesday night.
“They fired rockets at each other’s positions. Seven rockets landed near FC checkposts,” sources said.
Unknown men attacked the vehicle of the Tehsildar of Suni area of Bolan district on Tuesday bight. He remained unhurt but his vehicle was damaged.
