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At least two killed, 13 hurt in unrest across Balochistan
By Saleem Shahid
Friday, 10 Apr, 2009
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The provincial government is taking strict measures in order to maintain security during the three day strike called by Baloch nationalist parties.—AP
QUETTA: At least two people were killed and 13 others injured, including nine security personnel, in bomb blasts and firing incidents across the province on Friday during a shutter down strike against the killing of three Baloch nationalist leaders.

Violent incidents were reported in different areas of Balochistan including Turbat, Panjgur, Khuzdar, Gwadar, Sui, Hub and border town Mand. Angry protestors attacked government buildings and burnt banks, utility stores and offices.

According to reports, unknown armed men opened fire on Bugti tribesmen in Tal Barmat area of Sui tehsil, killing two, and then escaped the scene. The Baloch Republican Army (BRA) has claimed the responsibility of the killing.

Sources said that a bomb explosion was also reported in Wadh area of Khuzdar district while unknown armed men blew up a gas pipeline in Zainkoh area of Pir Koh.

Khuzdar

In Khuzdar firing and bomb blast incidents were reported during the strike and protest demonstrations that continued through the day. Workers of BNM and other Baloch nationalist parties blocked the Quetta-Karachi highway suspending all traffic between Sindh and Balochistan. They burnt tires and put barricades on the highway at different places.

The most powerful of the bomb explosions in Khuzdar resulted in injuries to four people including a police official and a local journalist. ‘It was remote control bomb planted in a motorcycle,’ Mr. Ghulam Ali Lashari District Police Khuzdar confirmed to Dawn.

The injured were immediately shifted to civil hospital. Later, police personnel who seriously injured in the blast shifted to Karachi.

The national Highway linking Khuzdar with Karachi remained closed through the day as angry mob blocked the highway burning tries and putting barricades. Police used tear gas for dispersing the demonstrators. Security was tightened in the town deploying more security personnel at important places after grenade attack on FC vehicle

Hub

Unknown armed men attacked a vehicle of Frontier Corps with a hand grenade at Pirkas road while it was on patrol in Hub. As a result of grenade attack five FC men were injured, two of them seriously.

Soon after the blast security forces cordon off the area and shifted the injured to the hospital.

Government and private vehicles were also pelted with stones during demonstrations in Hub town.

Turbat

Reports reaching here from Turbat unruly mob that took the streets of the town become violent when law enforcement agencies tried to disperse them. They pelted stones on the personnel of law enforcement agencies and burnt down branches of MCB and Habib Bank in Turbat Bazzar.

Mand

According to sources three FC men were injured when unknown people opened fire at their vehicle in Mand area a town close to Pak-Iran border. FC sources confirming the incident said that the FC men were on patrolling in the area when they came under fire. The attackers fled in the nearby mountains.

Gwadar and Panjgur

Demonstrations were also reported in port city of Gwadar and Panjgur. Unruly mob in Panjgur destroyed the office of the Nazim Union Council and attacked government offices. However, police and personnel of other law enforcement agencies used tear gas to disperse the mob. A power pylon was also blown up in Panjgur.

Reports reaching here from Noshki suggested that protest demonstration were held in the township by workers of different Baloch nationalist parties. A group of protestors attacked a utility store and after looting set on fire it. They also tried to damage some other government buildings but security forces blocked their way using tear gas.

Protests in other areas

Protest rallies and demonstrations were also reported in Sibi, Dera Murad Jamali, Dera Allahyar, Usta Mohammad, Kharan, Awaran, Mashkey, Kalat, Mastung, Pasni and Jiwani. In Jiwani some clashes were reported between police and demonstrators.

Quetta

Though Quetta remained clam during shutter down strike but in the evening unknown people set ablaze the official of a provincial government department in Railway Housing Society. A house in A-one city area was also attacked with grenade that exploded in the courtyard of the house smashing the windowpanes and doors of the house. However, the owner of the house Saeed Lodhi and his family remained safe in the attack.

The provincial government has taken strict security measures in Quetta and other parts of the province to avert any untoward incident during three days mourning announced by nationalist parties against the killing of three Baloch nationalist leaders Ghulam Mohammad Baloch, Lala Munir and Sher Mohammad Baloch. Heavy contingent of law enforcement of police, Balochistan Constabulary and Frontier corps contained in and around Quetta. No untoward incident was reported in the provincial capital.

 


Tags: Balochistan,Turbat killings,strike,Baloch
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