QUETTA/KHUZDAR: Gunmen attacked a checkpost near Wadh area, about 70km south of Khuzdar town, on Sunday morning, killing eight Levies personnel and injuring four others.

The gunmen cordoned off the area before firing indiscriminately with automatic weapons at the Johar checkpost on the Quetta-Karachi National Highway. They also hurled hand-grenades at the post and a vehicle parked there.

“Six Levies personnel, two head constables among them, were killed on the spot. They suffered multiple bullet wounds and were hit by splinters of grenades,” said Balochistan Home Secretary Akbar Durrani who rushed to Khuzdar after receiving information about the attack.

He told Dawn that two of the injured died in Wadh hospital.

Sources said the attack was so sudden that the Levies personnel could not take positions to resist and retaliate.

But the in-charge of the checkpost, Noorullah, who also was injured said the personnel had returned fire resulting in a gunbattle which continued for some time. He claimed that the attackers also suffered losses.

According to the sources, over 20 gunmen who took part in the attack had come in vehicles with tinted glasses.

Officials said the Levies personnel had resisted the attack but when their stock of ammunition was exhausted, the assailants entered the checkpost and snatched official weapons from them.

The home secretary said that two days ago Levies personnel had intercepted some suspects in the area and one of them was injured in an exchange of fire. The same people might be behind the attack, said Mr Durrani who visited the area along with Kalat Division Commissioner Dr Akbar Harifal and the DIG Kalat range.

Soon after the attack, a heavy contingent of Levies and Frontier Corps personnel cordoned off the area and launched a search for the assailants.

The home secretary said the search operation would continue till the arrest of the attackers.

Levies officials told Dawn that some suspects had been taken into custody during an operation in the mountainous areas of Waheer village.

No-one claimed responsibility for the attack till late Sunday night.

According to AFP, the home secretary said one officer was wounded in the attack but survived, adding that after stabilisation of his condition police would find out from him how the fighting occurred and who the gunmen were.

Balochistan Chief Minster Dr Abdul Malik Baloch condemned the attack and directed law-enforcement agencies to ensure immediate arrest of the attackers. He also sought a report on the incident in two days.

The chief minister said in a statement that attacking Levies personnel who were protecting people’s lives was a cowardly and anti-people act. He said the elements involved in the attack would soon be brought to justice.

He announced that the government would compensate the families of the deceased Levies personnel and extend all possible help and cooperation to them.

FUNERAL: The bodies of the personnel were brought to Khuzdar and their funeral was held at the Levies Line. It was attended by Home Secretary Durrani, Kalat Division Commissioner Dr Akbar Harifal, Khuzdar Deputy Commissioner Abdul Waheed Shah, the DIG Kalat range, senior Levies officials and other people.

Seven of the personnel were identified as Gul Muhammad and Zafarullah (head constables), Abdul Hadi, Naseer Ahmed, Muhammad Karim, Abdul Shakoor and Dhani Bakhsh. The identity of the eighth could not be ascertained. They all belonged to Wadh area of Khuzdar district.

Published in Dawn, May 26th, 2014