At least nine police officers were killed in an attack by gunmen on police guarding a dam construction site in Pakistan’s Balochistan province, prompting regional security forces to launch a clearance operation that killed 15 members of the Pakistani Taliban, officials reported.
Attack at Mangi Dam Site Triggers Security Operation in Balochistan
Gunmen launched a deadly assault on police officers guarding the construction site of the Mangi Dam in Pakistan’s south-western Balochistan province, according to reporting from the region. Two senior officers were among the nine police personnel killed, and several others remained missing following the violence in the Ziarat district.
Deputy Commissioner Abdul Quddus Achakzai confirmed that security forces initiated a clearance operation
in response to the raid. Officials stated that the operation resulted in the deaths of 15 members of the Pakistani Taliban.
Protests against the killings broke out along a national highway near the site of the attack. Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the violence, calling the slain personnel the pride of our nation
.
Regional Security Pressures and Infrastructure Strains
The targeted Mangi Dam is being constructed to address water shortages facing Quetta, the capital city of Balochistan. The province shares borders with both Afghanistan and Iran, and has experienced decades of unrest driven by local militant groups demanding greater autonomy from the Pakistani government.
Security incidents in the broader region have intensified. In May, local officials attributed an attack on a train transporting military personnel—which left 20 people dead—to the Balochistan Liberation Army separatist group. The border region has also seen cross-border military friction, including reported strikes by Afghanistan’s Taliban regime and counter-action from Pakistan’s military.
Concurrent Clashes Reported in South-Eastern Iran
Across the border in south-eastern Iran, separate security engagements unfolded within the shared geographic region of Sistan-Baluchestan. State media outlets reported that an armed clash erupted in the Saravan district between security forces and an unidentified armed group.
According to security sources cited by the Fars news agency, the ensuing firefight resulted in the deaths of four armed individuals and one security officer. Iranian authorities did not disclose the specific affiliation of the armed group involved in the Saravan engagement.
