QUETTA: Traders in Gwadar, Panjgur, Kech, Mastung, Kalat, Khuzdar and some other towns of Balochistan remained close their businesses on Tuesday in response to a strike call given by Baloch National Front (BNF) in protest against the killing of dozens of people in Monday’s operation by security forces near Kalat.

In a statement, the BNF condemned the incident and claimed that those killed in the Monday’s operation were civilians and not militants and that women and children were among the victims.

The statement claimed that security forces used air shelling in the operation.

The BNF said political movements could not be suppressed by military operations.

In separate statements, Baloch Human Rights Organisation, Baloch National Voice, Baloch Warna Movement and the outlawed Baloch Students Organisation-Azad condemned the Monday’s operation.

They claimed that those killed in Monday’s operation were civilians.

They appealed to United Nations, European Union, Amnesty International and International Human Rights Watch to take notice of killings in Balochistan.

The statements asked international human rights organisations to help Baloch nationalists in their struggle for their rights.

They criticised the media, particularly private news channels, for what they called playing down

the news of Monday’s incident.

They accused the media of giving only the official perception on the incident.