QUETTA, Jan 1: Heavy fighting erupted between security forces and tribesmen on the Dera Bugti-Sui Road on Saturday afternoon. A government official said a militiaman was injured during the exchange of fire. Separately, four persons were killed and three others suffered injuries when a bomb exploded inside a house in the Mashkal area of Kharan district.

Jamhoori Watan Party’s secretary-general Agha Shahid Hasan Bugti accused the security forces of attacking the tribesmen sitting on the Sungsila Corner, 4km from Dera Bugti at 2.30pm. The tribesmen only returned fire, he claimed.

He said the tribesmen and security forces also exchanged fire when they came face to face near Tilimad and Midkalori areas on the Dera-Sui Road. The two sides fired rockets at each other’s positions in the Bekar area.

Agha Shahid told Dawn that there was no casualty on tribesmen’s side. However, two ambulances and troops reinforcement were seen rushing from Sui towards Dera Bugti, he claimed.

Replying to a question, the JWP leader said when security forces opened fire on tribesmen without any provocation, the local people were bound to retaliate.

About district administration’s claim that Nawab Bugti had left his residence, the JWP leader said “in a war situation” the party leader would not remain rooted in one particular place for long. “But Nawab Bugti’s movement would be within the Dera Bugti area”.

District Coordination Officer Dera Bugti Abdul Samad Lasi blamed the tribesmen for launching attack on two checkpoints on the Dera Bugti-Sui Road besides ambushing the Loti gas-field vehicles in the Bashpage area which brought items of daily use for the employees.

Mr Lasi said the firing, started at 2pm, was still continuing when he spoke to this correspondent at 6pm.

He, however, claimed that the situation was in full control of the security forces.

He confirmed that one militiaman had suffered injury during the exchange of fire.

Meanwhile, four persons were killed and three others suffered injuries when a bomb exploded inside a house in the Mashkal area of Kharan district.

According to reports reaching here, some children found a hand bomb during play which they brought home. The device exploded, killing four family members.

The deceased have been identified as Khana Murad Bibi, Muhammad Isa, Gul Nisa and Nahila. The injured are three children — Muhammad Azeem, Zoha and Qamar.

In a separate incident, Sher Ahmed, a policeman, suffered injury when he attempted to deactivate a rocket that was found in the Killi Shiekhan suburb of the city.

Elsewhere in Balochistan, six blasts rocked the Spin-Tangai area lying between Sibi and Harnai, with one of them believed to have damaged a portion of the railway track. One device went off near a gas pipeline in Kalat without causing any loss.

Sources in the Sibi levies said six explosions occurred in the Spin-Tangai area on Sunday evening but due to poor communications it could not be known whether they had damaged the railway track or electricity poles. Other sources claimed that a portion of the rail track had been damaged.

It may be recalled that on Saturday an explosive device, planted under the bridge 27P, near Nari gauge, had destroyed a major portion of the bridge, causing suspension of rail traffic between Sibi and Harnai.