QUETTA: The body of a Pakistan Army officer, who was abducted by militants two days ago, was found on Thursday morning at the outskirts of Balochistan’s Harnai district.

Lt Col Laiq Baig Mirza was kidnapped from Warchoom area of Ziarat along with his cousin Umer Javed on Tuesday night when he was returning with his family to Quetta.

In a statement, the military’s media wing ISPR said Lt Col Mirza, who was posted in DHA Quetta, went to visit the Quaid-i-Azam Residency in Ziarat. On the way back, 10 to 12 armed men intercepted his vehicle and abducted the two men.

After receiving word of the abduction, army’s Quick Reaction Forces were immediately dispatched who traced the militants moving towards their hideouts in the area of Mangi Dam.

Subsequently, a search operation was launched by military’s elite SSG commandos to recover the victims. On the night between July 13 and 14, a group of six to eight terrorists was spotted moving in a nullah in nearby mountains. Seeing the forces closing-in, the militants shot Lt Col Mirza in the head and attempted to flee, the statement added.

In the ensuing exchange of fire, two terrorists were killed while the remaining managed to flee, along with their other captive Mr Omer. A cache of IEDs, explosives and ammunition was also recovered.

“Determined to recover the innocent civilian hostage and apprehend perpetrators, an operation in the area by [the] security forces continues unabated despite bad weather conditions,” ISPR added.

Published in Dawn, July 15th, 2022