GWADAR/QUETTA: Nine Levies officials and a pedestrian were injured in a roadside explosion that targeted the convoy of the Kech deputy commissioner in Turbat on Monday.

In a separate incident, dozens of armed men invaded a town in Kacchi district and set the police station on fire, before escaping after a heavy gun battle with the police.

Speaking about the roa­d­side explosion, officials said the improvised explosive device, which was pla­n­ted in a motorbike, went off next to a security vehicle when the DC’s convoy reac­h­ed Thana road in Turbat.

“At least nine Levies personnel present in the security vehicle, as well as a passerby, were injured in the powerful blast,” Nazeer Ahmed, Turbat deputy superintendent of police, told Dawn.

The deputy commissi­oner, who was travelling in a bulletproof vehicle, rem­ained safe in the explosion.

Soon after the blast, the security forces and the police rushed to the site, and the injured Levies personnel and the sole civilian were rushed to the district hospital in Turbat. “The condition of two personnel is serious,” the police said, quoting hospital officials.

The explosion destr­oyed the security vehicle, while the bulletproof vehicle of the DC also received damage. At least a dozen buildings and five vehicles parked in the vicinity also sustained damage.

Police station torched

Separately, dozens of militants attacked Bhag, a town in Kacchi district, and set the Levies station and other government buildings on fire.

Officials said two assailants were also gunned down — one body was tak­en into custody by the Counter-Terrorism Depart­ment and the other was tak­en away by the fleeing militants.

In the attack, a police official was also killed, while another sustained injuries and moved to Sibi for treatment. Officials said up to 50 armed men arrived in Bhag at 4:15pm on motorbikes, attacking a pickup truck and police and Levies stations. They took the Levies personnel hostage and started firing at the police station. However, the police deployed in the area immediately retaliated, leading to a heavy exchange of fire.

In the shootout, Bhag SHO Lutaf Khosa received multiple injuries and lost his life. “Our police officer was martyred and a police constable [Muhammad Afzal Khosa] was injured in the heavy exchange of fire,” Maazur Rehman, Ka­c­chi SSP, told Dawn. He said two militants were also killed.

According to the SSP, armed men broke into the judicial lockup and took away six undertrial prisoners. He said the tehsil office was also attacked by the militants who ransacked the record of ‘Patwarkhana’ and its furniture. They tried to enter a National Bank branch but the police foiled their attempt, said the SSP.

He said the police station was completely gutted. The building of the National Bank was also damaged as heavy weapons were used in the attack.

Ali Jan Mangi in Nasirabad also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, October 28th, 2025