2024-01-14 11:26:02
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) — An explosive device killed five Pakistani soldiers in the country’s southwest on Saturday, the military said. It was the fifth deadly attack once morest police and soldiers so far this year, and came weeks before the country held parliamentary elections.
The soldiers were killed during an operation on Saturday in Kech district of Balochistan province when suspected militants detonated the homemade bomb in the security forces’ vehicle.
Three “terrorists” were killed in the ensuing firefight, the military said. A clearing operation was then carried out to eliminate other militants in the area, he added.
The deceased soldiers were between 23 and 25 years old. At first no one claimed responsibility for the attack.
The army said Pakistani security forces remain determined to thwart attempts to sabotage the peace, stability and progress of Balochistan.
Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Ali Mardan Khan Domki expressed grief over the death of the soldiers.
Some senators called for a postponement of the elections, scheduled for February 8, due to security concerns.
Baluchistan, which borders Afghanistan and Iran, has had a nationalist insurgency for more than two decades. Although they initially claimed a portion of the province’s resources, the militiamen later began an insurgency for independence.
Separately, in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Pakistani military said security forces had killed four suspected militants in operations on Saturday.
Weapons, ammunition and explosives were seized from the killed men.
The military said they were involved in terrorist activities once morest security forces, as well as extortion and targeted killings of civilians.
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