Pakistan army officer killed, another injured in Balochistan terror attack

Islamabad, Apr 22 (PTI) A Pakistan Army officer was killed and another injured in an encounter with terrorists in the country’s south-western province of Balochistan, the military said on Friday.

According to a Pakistan Army statement, an encounter began when a group of terrorists “fired” at a security forces outpost in the Kahan area near Awaran on Thursday night. Major Shahid Basheer lost his life while another soldier sustained injuries when the security forces repulsed the attack and tried chasing the terrorists who fled to the nearby mountains, it said.

“At one of the cordons established to block the passage of fleeing terrorists, a heavy exchange of fire took place between terrorists and security forces, leading to the casualty,” further read the statement. The military statement further added that the country’s security forces remained “determined to thwart any attempt at sabotaging peace, stability, and progress of Balochistan”.

The security forces in Balochistan have been fighting nationalists as well as the Taliban rebels in the area who are up in arms against the state for different  reasons. While the Baloch nationalists complain that the federal government has been robbing the resource-rich province of its mineral wealth, the Taliban want to introduce Sharia law in the country.