Balochistan: Timeline (Terrorist Activities) -2015

A Frontier Corps (FC) official was killed and three others injured after their vehicle was bombed at the Harnae Phatak close to Police Line in Sibi town of same District in Balochistan in the morning of January 1, reports The Express Tribune. According to police officials, unidentified militants attached an improvised explosive device (IED) to a tree near a graveyard close to Police Line. The militants detonated the IED by a remote device when FC vehicle passed by the area. As a result of the explosion, FC solider Mohammed Luqman died on the spot while three other personnel sustained wounds. Read less...

A suspected Tehreeke Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militant, involved in the attack on a Levies Thana in Zhob District, was killed in an exchange of fire with Security Forces on January 1, reports Dawn. Official sources said that a group of armed militants attacked the Levies Thana in Murgha Kibzai area of Zhob District and ransacked it before setting it on fire. The attackers were fleeing when FC troops reached there and opened fire on them. In the heavy exchange of fire, one attacker died. “The man killed belongs to TTP,” an FC spokesman said. After the incident, he said, a search operation was carried out in the Saman area of Kahan in Kohlu District and huge quantity of arms and ammunition was seized. The arms seized included antitank and antipersonnel mines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs). However, no arrest was reported.
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FC personnel arrested a militant ‘commander’ and recovered arms and ammunition from his possession from Barkhan District, reports Dawn. Read less...

Three special courts were formed on January 1 in accordance with the Protection of Pakistan Act (PPA) to preside over cases relating to terrorism,reports Daily Times. Five special courts are to be formed in total. The three courts have been formed in Peshawar (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Lahore (Punjab) and Quetta (Balochistan) in accordance with the PPA passed by parliament in order to curb rising militancy in the country. Judge Mukarrab Khan will head the special court in Lahore, Judge Zafar Khosa in Quetta and judge Anwar Ali Khan will preside over the court in Peshawar. As many as five special courts are to be formed whereas the next phase will focus on establishing special courts in Islamabad and Sindh. Read less...

The Frontier Corps (FC) on January 2 claimed to have killed four suspected militantsin the Naal area of Khuzdar District, reports Dawn. One FC trooper was also killed during an exchange of fire with suspected militants. FC’s spokesman (Balochistan) said several suspected militants were also arrested during the operation. The forces also seized weapons and arms from the possession of militants during the action. "Forces also demolished the camp of miscreants," the spokesman said. He stated that the FC launched the operation in the aftermath of an attack on a levies check post in the area. The militants had snatched weapons and motorcycles from levies personnel during the attack. "They all belonged to a banned militant group", he added. Read less...

Law Enforcement Agencies, including Police, FC, Balochistan Levies and Intelligence Agencies in a joint raid launched a crackdown against stores openly selling hate literature and materials allegedly promoting militancy in Kuchlak area of Quetta on January 3, reports The Express Tribune. At least 40 shopkeepers were detained in Quetta for interrogation, while dozens were arrested from other parts of the Province during the raids. “The campaign against hate material is part of a national policy formed against terrorism in the country in the aftermath of December 16, 2014 Peshawar School attack,” said Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Quetta Abdul Razzaq Cheema, adding, “There was some literature confiscated which supports the mindset of TTP and other extremists.” Read less...

Frontier Corps (FC) and paramilitary force on January 4 foiled a major terror bid in Sibi Districtby defusing an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) planted in a motorcycle parked on the road where a procession in connection with Eid Milad-un-Nabi (Prophet's birth anniversary) was scheduled to pass, reports Dawn. According to sources in FC, militants had planted four kilogram of explosives in the motorcycle to target the procession. “Major terror bid was foiled prior to the arrival of procession,” they said. Read less...

One FC soldier was injured during an exchange of fire with the militants in Ziarat District on January 4, reported Dawn. Later, the Security Forces (SFs) arrested two Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants and recovered a huge cache of arms and ammunition from their possession. “The arrested militants belong to TTP,” sources claimed. Read less...

TehreekeTaliban Pakistan (TTP) militants abducted nine people, including four Government Officials, in two separate incidents from Zhob District on January 4, reports Dawn. In the first incident, militants intercepted a Zhobbound passenger bus coming from Quetta and took away five people with them. Sources said the kidnappers checked national identity cards of the passengers and separated five people, including four Government Officials and a student of Bolan Medical College, from the others. In the second incident of kidnapping, the militants abducted four other people, who were travelling to Quetta from Islamabad. The home minister said security forces had launched a search operation in Zhob and Qila Saifullah Districts to recover the abductees. No outfit claimed responsibility for the kidnappings. Read less...

An unidentified man was killed in a bomb blast in Musa Colony on  Sariab Road in Quetta on  January 5, reported Dawn. Imran Qureshi, the Superintendent of Police (SP) Sariab said, "The blast has severely damaged the dead person’s face." Read less...

Balochistan Home Minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti on January 5 said that eight militants, including a 'commander' of a banned outfit, were killed and 15 others were detained while two camps were busted in week-long operations launched in Panjgur and Kalat Districts of the province, reported The News. Search is also in progress in Zhob and its adjoining areas to trace nine people who were kidnapped by unidentified armed assailants in Zhob District. “There is zero-tolerance towards terrorism, and stern action would be taken against all R&AW and National Directorate of Security (NDS) funded armed Lashkars,” said Mir Sarfaraz Bugti. Read less...

The military courts being set-up under 21st Constitutional Amendment would not try terror groups involved in ethnic killing of citizens in Karachi or insurgents attacking state installations in Balochistan as legislation moved in the National Assembly (NA) specifically mentions religion and sect based terrorism as the intended targets of the amendments, reports The News on January 6 (today).The drafts of both the 21st constitutional amendment and Pakistan Army (Amendment) Act 1952 specify that the changes will be applicable on people belonging to terrorist groups using the name of religion or sect.The legal experts believe that the words of the two amendments means that if a terrorist kills Pakistani people or attacks state institutions and installation but he does not belong to any religious or sectarian group, he would not be tried in the military courts. “Any person who is or claims or is known to belong to any terrorist group or organization using the name of religion or a sect and raises arms or wages against Pakistan and law enforcement agencies or attacks any civilian or military installations in Pakistan or kidnap any person for ransom or causes death of any person or injury …...shall be punished under this Act” says the Amendment in Section 2 of the Pakistan Army Act 1952.Similarly, according to draft of 21st Constitutional Amendment, Article 175 will have “no application on acts mentioned at serial no 6, 7, 8 and 9 or part I(III) of the First Schedule, who claims, or is known to belong to any terrorist group or organization using the name of religion or sect.” Also, a special explanation is included in the bill to amend Army Act 1952 which states. “In this Act, the expression ‘sect’ means a sect of religion and does not include any political party registered under any law for the time being in force.” The National Assembly is likely to conduct voting on these amendments on January 6, 2014 (today). Read less...

The Express Tribune reported on January 7 that Over 8,000 seminaries have neither been registered with the Ittehad-e-Tanzeemat-e-Madaris Pakistan (ITMP),an umbrella of five schools of thought, nor with the Ministry of Religious Affairs, raising a serious question over their curriculum’s legitimacy and their source of funding. Following the National Action Plan (NAP) committee’s recommendations, officials associated with provinces’ Auqaf departments are gathering data about madaris/makatib which have never been registered with the ITMP, Ministry Of Religious Affairs or with the Provincial Auqaf Departments.Around 8,249 seminaries which have enrolled 0.3 million students are not registered across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan, revealed officials, who will brief Federal Ministry of Interior next week. “This non-registered madaris/makatib did not fulfil the basic criteria set by the ministry of religious affairs,” a senior official said. Around 4,135 madaris or makatib are operating without getting proper registration from the designated authorities in KP, the official said, adding that some 2,411 seminaries are unregistered in Punjab, 1,406 in Sindh and 266 in Balochistan, he explained. At least 31 madaris are not registered in Islamabad where all seminaries are built on encroached land, he revealed and went on to say that even Jamia Hafsa, adjacent to Lal Mosque, also failed to fulfill basic requirements of registration. The official claimed that “Madaris operating in KP did not cooperate with us.”The ITMP officials also confirmed that some members of seminary boards – Barelvi, Ahle Hadith, Shia and Jamaat-e-Islami – affiliated with the Ittehad Tanzimat Madaris-e-Deeniya – had also refused to comply when it came to regulating their syllabus in the Pervez Musharraf era. The problem exists in non-registered seminaries where there is no check on literature being taught there, a cleric said on condition of anonymity. The Ministry of Religious Affairs registered 26,131 madaris by September 2014, according to official figures obtained by The Express Tribune. Around 14,768 seminaries are registered in Punjab, 7,118 in Sindh, 2,704 in Balochistan, 1,354 in KP and 187 in the Islamabad. Read less...

Two Levies personnel were killed and five others sustained injuries when unidentified assailants attack the paramilitary force vehicle in Jhao tehsil (revenue unit) in Awaran District on January 7, reports The News. Levies sources the unidentified assailants attack the paramilitary force vehicle when it was returning from Uthal. The assailants managed to escape from the scene. The martyred Levies men have been identified as Abdul Majeed and Zahoor Ahmed. Read less...

Unidentified assailants shot dead four labourers while leaving another injured on the Qambarani Road in Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan, on January 7, reports The News. Several people including Afghan nationals were arrested in a search operation by law enforcing agencies in Quetta. Read less...

At least three soldiers of Frontier Corps (FC) were killed and five others sustained injuries when their convoy came under gun and rocket attack in a remote hilly area of Santsar in Gwadar District of Balochistan on January 9, reports Daily Times. A security convoy was on its routine patrolling in Santsar area when unidentified militants, armed with rockets and sophisticated weapons, attacked the military vehicles. Read less...

Unidentified militants on January 9-morning blew up railway track with explosive material in Jaffarabad town of same District, suspending the train services, reports Daily Times. According to FC sources, some unidentified militants planted explosive device at railway track which went off with big bang, due to which a deep crater was developed by destroying the tracked. Read less...

An employee of the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) was injured in a blast in Tajaban area of Kech District in Balochistan on January 10, reports Dawn. Security officials said the blast occurred near a vehicle of FWO personnel when they were working on the under-construction Gwadar-Turbat-Reto-Dero national highway. Read less...

A remote-controlled bomb was planted to target a police mobile at Mustang Road in Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan on January 11, reports Daily Times. However, no human loss was reported as a result of the explosion Read less...

One person sustained injuries in a landmine blast in Jori area of Dera Bugti District on January 11, reports Daily Times. As per details, the blast took place when one farmer, who was watering the fields, put unconsciously his foot on the landmine injuring him. Read less...

Security Forces (SFs) detained at least nine suspects including one suicide attacker and three members of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Swat group in Quetta on January 11, reports Daily Times. According to the sources, SFs on a tip off, raided three different areas of Quetta and taken as many as nine suspects into custody. Read less...

Unidentified assailants abducted two trader brothers in Guldar Baghicha near Chaman area of Killa Saifullah District on January 11, reports Daily Times. According to Levies force, the victims were on way to their shop from house in a vehicle when some armed men intercepted them. They took away them along with their vehicle to an unidentified destination on gunpoint. Read less...

Seven personnel of the Frontier Corps (FC) were killed and one injured when militants attacked a checkpost of the Security Forces (SFs) in the Mekhtar area of Loralai District in Balochistan on January 12, reports The News. The FC officials said that around 40 militants armed with automatic weapons attacked the FC checkpost. As a result, all the eight personnel of the force sustained multiple bullet injuries and seven of them died on the spot. The FC personnel launched a counter attack, killing one attacker and injuring many others. Read less...

Chief of Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M), Sardar Akhtar Mengal on January 15 said that extremism was being promoted in Baloch society to weaken Baloch nationalists, reported Dawn. "Extremists are penetrating in a tolerant Baloch society," Mengal said. He said new shadowy extremist organisations were surfacing in the Province to undermine the Baloch political and democratic movement. He rejected claims of the nationalists-led Government that the law and order situation has improved in Balochistan. Mengal stated that in the Chief Minister's own constituency, mutilated bodies were being found. The former Chief Minister lamented that 'mass graves' were still being recovered in Balochistan. He stated that the trust deficit between the Government and political forces needs to be bridged to make dialogue a success. Mengal lashed out at both Baloch and Pashtoon nationalist parties running the Government in Balochistan. "They made compromises and forgot the masses," he added. Read less...

Police on January 16 rescued five abducted foreigners and arrested two kidnappers during search operations in Satellite Town and overseas colony area of Turbat District, reported Dawn. Imran Qureshi, the District Police Officer (DPO) said that the foreigners include three Yemenis and two Tanzanian nationals. He further stated that weapons were also recovered from the possession of the kidnappers. He said that the abductors were also involved in trafficking drugs to neighboring Iran and Gulf states. It has not yet be verified as to how the foreign nationals were abducted by the kidnappers. "We are also interrogating the foreign nationals," Qureshi said. Read less...

Balochistan Chief Secretary Saifullah Chathha while presiding over a meeting in Quetta on January 18 asked officials to ensure construction of boundary walls and foolproof security at all schools in the Province as part of the National Action Plan against terrorists, reported Dawn. He ordered officials of Law-Enforcement Agencies and educational institutions to jointly evolve a security plan for safety and protection of schools, colleges and universities. The meeting decided that boundary walls would be built and protective wires installed at all schools, besides deploying security guards at every educational institution. Read less...

Police detained 31 suspects during various raids in Quetta on January 18, reports Dawn. Police said hate materials and CDs were recovered from their possession. Read less...

Security Forces (SFs) on January 18 arrested two militants, identified as Maulavi Shah Wali and Hafiz Niamatullah, during a raid in Jangle Pir Alizai area in Qilla Abdullah District, reports Dawn. Read less...

SFs on January 18 arrested two suspected militants from Killi Tekhdar area of Chaman town and recovered weapons from their possession, reported Dawn. Read less...

Rawalpindi-bound Jaffar Express escaped a bomb blast in the 13 Mile area of provincial capital Quetta on January 23, reported Dawn. However, no casualties were reported. Read less...

Unidentified militants blew up a 6-inch gas pipeline in Sohbatpur area of Jaffarabad District suspending gas supply to different villages on January 23, reports Dawn. No outfit claimed responsibility for the attacks Read less...

Unidentified miscreants blew up an 18-inch gas pipeline near Dera Murad Jamali in Naseerabad District on January 23, reported Dawn. The explosion caused suspension of gas supply from Sui to Uch Power Plant. Read less...

Law enforcement agencies on January 24 arrested seven Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants, including a ‘commander’, from different places, reports Daily Times. On a tip-off the Security Forces (SFs) raided a house located in Bagatoo area of Hangu District in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province arresting four terrorists of the banned TTP. Heavy weapons including eight hand grenades, four Kalashnikovs, two remote-controlled bombs, eight detonators, two batteries and hundreds of bullets were recovered from the possession of the arrested militants. In another incident, on intelligence report about the presence of TTP militants in the area the SFs conducted a raid in Harnai District of Balochistan Province and arrested three TTP militants, including a ‘commander’. SFs also recovered arms and ammunition from the possession of militants. Read less...

Security Forces (SFs) arrested three Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants, including the 'commander', during a raid in Harnai District on January 24, reports The Express Tribune. According to Frontier Corps (FC) official, the SFs raided a house in the District. “No one was hurt in the raid and the ensuing firefight,” he said. A cache of weapons was also seized during the raid. “Based on information gleaned from the militants, more raids are expected,” another official said. Balochistan Home Secretary Akbar Hussain Durrani confirmed the arrests. Read less...

Balochistan Government during a high-level meeting of security officials on January 26 finalised 54 terrorism cases for trial by military courts that have been set up under the 21st Constitution Amendment, reported Dawn. Home Secretary Akbar Hussain Durrani said that of the 54 cases selected, 19 related to the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), 18 to Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) and 17 to Sipah-e-Muhammad. The Provincial apex committee, which is responsible for implementation of the National Action Program (NAP) against terrorism, will forward the cases to the Federal Government for a final decision. Balochistan Inspector General (IG) Mohammad Amlish Khan said that 168 accused had been nominated in the 54 cases; 88 of them were under arrest and 80 absconding. Read less...

Five persons, including a retired Police Sub-Inspector (SI) Muhammad Salleh Shah, were killed and one sustained injuries when in a Chithar-bound pickup that was coming from Dera Murad Jamali stumbled over a landmine in the Soonwah area of Naseerabad District on January 26, reported The News. Read less...

Quetta Police on January 26 recovered 50,000 rounds of different caliber weapons, which had been stolen from the arsenal depot of Balochistan Constabulary, during raids in Shaldara and Pashtoonabad areas of the provincial capital, reports The News. “The recovered ammunitions had been stolen from the arsenal depot of Balochistan Constabulary in connivance with Police officials some days back,” Police sources said. Read less...

Five abducted coalminers, who had been kidnapped on January 27, 2015, from Sorenge area in Quetta were rescued on January 28, reported The News. The five abducted coalminers were identified as Lal Muhammad, Noor Muhammad, Sale Muhammad, Rahman Gul and Sanaullah. Read less...

Unidentified militants abducted five Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation (PMDC) coal miners from Sorenge area in Quetta on January 27, reports Dawn. According to Police sources, militants kidnapped seven miners belonging to the PMDC in Quetta's Sorenge area. The abductors later freed two coal miners and took the other abductees to nearby mountains. "Five coal miners are still with kidnappers," Police said. No outfit claimed responsibility for the kidnapping. Read less...

A death row prisoner, identified as Rameez Raja, who had escaped during the Bannu jailbreak on April 15, 2012, was re-arrested during a raid by Hub Police in Lasbela District on January 28, reported The Express Tribune. Raja, originally a resident of Kohat District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, was awarded death penalty in July 2012, for murdering his relative. “Raja said he had spent a few days in mountainous areas before moving to Korangi Town of Karachi where he obtained a fake National Identity Card (NIC) under the alias Aftab Ahmed,” said Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Hub Police Zaidullah Khan adding that the prisoner also revealed that he lived in New Karachi Town of Karachi for a brief period of time before moving to Hub. Read less...

A senior official of the Balochistan Levies said that on January 28 a group of 25-30 militants stormed a check post of the Levies force in Qila Saifullah District and fled with five official rifles, three motorbikes, five bulletproof jackets and a walkie-talkie, reports The Express Tribune. “Five personnel inside the check post were encircled by the militants, and the incident took place at about 2:30am,” the senior official said, adding, “The militants have fled towards the mountainous areas of Murghagebzai in Zhob District, which shares a border with Waziristan, Afghanistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.” Read less...

An alleged suicide bomber was killed during an exchange of fire with Security Forces (SFs) in Maikhtar area of Loralai District on January 30, reports Dawn. According to sources, SFs conducted an operation in the area. The militants resisted the SFs and one alleged suicide bomber blew himself up during a shoot out that lasted for an hour. Another militant fled from the spot. Read less...

Frontier Corps (FC) personnel recovered arms and ammunition from an Alto car in Gulistan area of Killa Abdullah District on January 30, reports Dawn. Read less...

Intelligence Agencies and Anti-Terrorist Forces personnel arrested a Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) 'commander' from Pishin District on January 30, reported Dawn. The SFs recovered weapons from their possession. Read less...

As part of an ongoing crackdown against militants from banned organisations in Balochistan, Police and Anti-Terrorist Force (ATC) personnel have arrested 260 suspects from different parts of Quetta District, on January 31, reports Dawn. Police sources told that raids were conducted in Sariab Road, Brewery Road, Satellite Town and other parts of Quetta. Arms and ammunition were also recovered from the possession of the suspects who have been shifted to different Police Stations in Quetta for interrogation. Read less...

Two Police personnel were killed and another was injured when a convoy of District Police Officer (DPO) Khuzdar came under gun and rocket attack by militants in Pasni area of Gwadar District on January 31, reported The Express Tribune. However, DPO Khuzdar Asghar Ali Yusufzai, who was traveling with his family, escaped unhurt in the attack and was safe. Read less...