By Gul Yousafzai
QUETTA, Pakistan (Reuters) – Twenty militants and 9 troopers have been killed in latest days throughout rebel assaults on two army bases in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province and the army’s response, the army stated on Saturday.
The assaults, the largest lately by ethnic Baloch insurgents, started on Wednesday evening.
“A complete of 20 militants have been killed throughout Panjgur and Nauski operations. Safety forces have accomplished the clearance operation at this time,” stated a press release by army’s media wing.
The Baloch Liberation Military (BLA), which had earlier claimed the assault, additionally issued a press release on Saturday evening saying “all targets efficiently achieved.” It stated 16 fighters sacrificed themselves within the assaults, a phrasing that indicated however didn’t say clearly that they’d died.
Ethnic Baloch guerrillas have been combating the federal government for many years, demanding a separate state and saying the central authorities unfairly exploits Balochistan’s wealthy gasoline and mineral assets.
Final week, the military stated insurgents killed 10 troopers in an assault on a put up close to the port of Gwadar on the Arabian Sea, the heaviest loss of life toll for the military within the Balochistan insurgency in years.
(Extra reporting by Saud Mehsud in Dera Ismail Khan; Writing by Raza Hassan; Modifying by Frances Kerry)
Supply: KFGO
