Pakistan foils separatist attack in Baluchistan hours after Iran FM visit
Separatist rebels launched a coordinated attack against army and security forces in Pakistan’s Baluchistan province, hours after a visit to Islamabad by Iran’s top diplomat.
Pakistan’s authorities said Tuesday they have foiled a terror attack by separatist insurgents in the Baluchistan province bordering Iran, killing at least six militants.
Several militants stormed the city of Mach overnight, launching dozens of rockets at several facilities in the area including the railway station, the central jail and the headquarters of Pakistan’s Frontier Corps, a paramilitary group operating in Baluchistan under the umbrella of the Interior Ministry, according to local media.
A heavy shootout broke out between the militants, army and security forces that lasted for several hours.
The separatist Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the coordinated attack. In a statement carried by media close to separatist groups, BLA spokesman Jayant Baloch said his group took control of the entrances and exits to Mach city, claiming that 45 security and military forces have been killed.
