QUETTA, April 6: Gas supply to a number of factories in the Lasbela Industrial Estate was disrupted after a gas pipeline in Hub, the industrial town of Balochistan, was blown up on Thursday.

According to official sources, some people had planted an explosive device under the pipeline supplying gas to factories in Hub. It blew up on Thursday evening damaging the pipeline.

The supply of gas was cut off from the main line after the explosion. “Gas supply was suspended to several factories in the industrial estate,” a police officer of the Hub police station confirmed on phone.

The supply is expected to be restored by Friday morning.

A caller identifying himself as Mirak Baloch and claiming to be a spokesman of the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) told newsmen on the phone that the BLA was behind the gas pipeline blast and a hand-grenade attack on the house of a police constable in Quetta.

He also claimed that five soldiers of the FC had been killed and many others injured in a clash with tribesmen.

BUGTI TRIBE’S CLAIM: Bugti tribe sources claimed that two FC men were killed when their vehicle was hit by a landmine in the Qambar Lango area of the Loti gas field on Thursday.

They also claimed that six FC men had been killed and many others injured when armed tribesmen opened fire on them in the same area. However, official sources did not confirm these incidents. They said: “No such incident took place.”

There were also reports of fighting between security forces and armed tribesmen in Kahan, Karmo Wadh and other areas of Kohlu district.

ROCKETS FIRED: A number of rockets were fired on FC checkposts in the Loti and Dera Bugti areas on Thursday.

According to sources, eight rockets were also fired on the fort of Mir Ahmedan Bugti in the Dera Bugti town.

However, no casualty or loss of property was reported in the rocket attacks.