File photo/AFP
tribal militia post in Balochistan on Saturday, killing one man
and abducting five, officials said.
The early morning raid took place in Dera Bugti district, about 400
kilometres southeast of provincial capital Quetta, they said.
“Armed men believed to be several dozens attacked the post and
whisked away five members of the tribal force in their vehicles after
forcing them to surrender,” provincial chief secretary Akbar
Durrani told AFP.
One man who resisted was shot dead by the assailants, he said.
Local administration chief Syed Faisal Shah confirmed the raid,
saying security forces had been rushed to the area and a search
operation had been launched.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.
The government set up a lightly armed tribal force, known locally
as a peace force, to help security forces tackle militant violence
in the region.
Balochistan is rife with militancy and is home to a regional
insurgency the latest phase of which began in 2004. The
insurgents demand political autonomy and a greater share of profits
from the province’s oil and gas resources.
The province has also become a flashpoint for sectarian violence.
Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf earlier this month sacked the
provincial government in Balochistan after meeting Shia protesters
demanding protection after a huge bomb attack that killed 92 people.
