QUETTA: Four Frontier Corps (FC) personnel were injured when a bomb exploded near their vehicle in Duki district of Balochistan on Saturday, officials said.

An improvised explosive device (IED) planted by unknown miscreants at the roadside in the Mand­aytak area detonated when the FC patrol was passing through the area.

“Four FC soldiers were injured in the blast,” a senior security official said, add­ing that they were pat­r­o­lling for the security of tru­cks carrying coal to Pun­jab from Duki coal fields.

FC personnel and police arrived at the scene and shifted the injured to the district hospital in Duki.

Later, a bomb disposal squad visited the scene of attack and collected evidence. Initial investigation showed the IED was detonated with remote control.

Security in Duki, a coal-rich area, has been incre­ased after several violent attacks targeting miners in the past few months.

On Oct 11, armed assailants killed 21 coal miners and left six others injured in the coal field area. The assailants also destroyed ten mines and burnt equipment and machinery.

Brothers shot dead

In Mastung, bullet-riddled bodies of two brothers were found in the Splingi area on Saturday.

The two were kidnapped by unidentified armed men while attending a wedding ceremony the other day.

Authorities were alerted by the locals about the presence of the bodies. After receiving the information, Levies personnel arrived at the site, took the bodies into custody and shifted them to the district hospital.

The victims were shot in the head from a close range, Levies officials said.

One victim was identified as Khushhal Bangulzai, while the identity of his brother could not be ascertained immediately.

The bodies were handed over to the family after completing medico-legal formalities.

Published in Dawn, October 27th, 2024