QUETTA, Dec 21: Action against Marri tribesmen allegedly involved in firing rockets, carrying out bomb blasts and attacking forces continued on Wednesday in the district of Kohlu and two more camps of insurgents were destroyed in the mountainous areas of the district.

As helicopter gunships looked for “hideouts and camps” in different areas, rocket attacks were reported at checkposts of the Frontier Corps and other paramilitary forces in Kohlu, Mand and Nushki regions of the province.

It is learnt that the paramilitary forces destroyed two camps of Marri tribesmen in Syiha-Ghar near the Tali and Jabbar areas of Kohlu district. However, armed men from the other side continued their stiff resistance in other areas and lobbed missiles and rockets at the forces.

Some casualties were reported but there was no confirmation from government officials or independent sources. However, Nawabzada Mir Baloch Khan Marri claimed that around 80 people had been killed and as many injured in the four days of operation.

“I do not have the exact number of people killed but there are reports of about 80 to 85 deaths in the operation,” Mir Balach told Dawn on telephone from his native area. He said most of the victims were women and children.

Meanwhile, at least 20 rockets were fired on FC checkposts and bases in different areas of the province.

Official sources said that four rockets fired at the FC Qila rocked the tiny township of Kohlu early in the morning causing panic among residents. However, none of the rockets hit the target. The sources said that FC personnel retaliated and fired a number of rockets towards the place from where the rocket had been launched.

According to another report, four rockets were fired at the FC posts in Fazilchal and Mir Shah Mehmood areas, but caused no loss of life or property. Three rockets were fired on the Nushki area during the day, but they exploded in open places.

Frontier Corps sources here confirmed a rocket attack at the FC checkpost in the Mullah Mohammad area, some 10 KM from Mand, a small town on the Pakistan-Iran border.

“Miscreants fired nine rockets at the post from mountains towards the checkpost,” FC sources in Mand said.

FC troops deployed at the border returned fire and a heavy exchange of fire continued for half an hour, they said, adding that no causality took place in the exchange of fire and rockets attack. Later the assailants disappeared in the mountains.

Meanwhile, Azad Baloch claiming to be the spokesman of the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) said on satellite telephone that the rocket attack in Mand had been carried out by the BLA and BLF. “BLA and BLF accept the responsibility of the attack at the FC post,” he said.

The railway authorities in Quetta said that the rail service between Sibi and Harnai was restored on Wednesday after replacing the damaged part of the rail track and repairing the small bridge that had been blew up on Tuesday.

After the explosion the railways authorities have tightened security to protect rail tracks and other installations in Balochistan. “We have adopted measures to ensure safe rail journey in the province,” a railway official said.

Meanwhile, Nawabzada Mir Balach Khan Marri has said that the Baloch people were resisting the military action and fighting to protect their soil and resources.

“Not a few people, but the entire Baloch nation is behind this resistance,” he said while talking to Dawn on satellite phone on Wednesday night.

He said that there was a big build-up of troops in the area and regular army was replacing the FC deployed in Marri-Bugti areas indicating that the government was planning a massive operation.