Grenade attack injures six in Balochistan's Usta Mohammad; four killed in Panjgur shooting

Balochistan [Pakistan] August 20 (ANI): At least six people, including four police personnel, were injured in a grenade attack on a police van in the Usta Mohammad district of Balochistan, officials confirmed on Monday, The Balochistan Post (TBP) reported.

Police stated that unidentified attackers on a motorcycle lobbed a grenade at a police mobile near the railway gate within the jurisdiction of the City Police Station. The explosion left four policemen and two civilians wounded, all of whom were shifted to a nearby hospital for medical care. The police vehicle also sustained damage in the blast. Following the incident, security forces cordoned off the area and began a search operation to locate the perpetrators. An investigation is currently underway.

The Baloch Republican Guards (BRG), an armed insurgent group, later claimed responsibility for the attack. In its statement, the BRG said its fighters had deliberately targeted the police patrol and warned of more such actions if security forces continued what the group described as harassment of residents, TBP reported.

In a separate incident on Monday night, gunmen opened fire on a house in the Sordo area of Panjgur, killing four individuals and injuring another. According to TBP, the victims, residents of Quetta, were alleged to have ties with a state-backed armed group often referred to locally as a "death squad." Such groups have long been accused of carrying out enforced disappearances, targeted killings of political and social activists, and engaging in criminal networks, including drug smuggling and kidnapping for ransom.

No organisation has so far claimed responsibility for the Panjgur attack, though TBP noted that in past incidents of a similar nature, Baloch "pro-independence" militant outfits have often stepped forward to claim involvement.

The recent attacks highlight the enduring unrest and conflict in Balochistan. In this region, separatist groups have long demanded independence, citing political marginalisation, human rights abuses, and exploitation of natural resources by the Pakistani state. These groups argue that the region's vast mineral wealth benefits the central government and foreign investors, while local communities remain impoverished and underdeveloped. The Pakistani military's presence and operations in the region are viewed by many as acts of occupation rather than national defence. As a result, resentment continues to grow, fueling further resistance and deepening the divide between Baloch nationalists and the federal authorities. (ANI)

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