ZIARAT, BALOCHISTAN: Armed groups launched a large-scale coordinated assault on two Pakistani security force posts in the Kharwari Baba area of Ziarat, Balochistan, on Saturday evening, seizing full control of both positions, confiscating weapons and ammunition, and setting the posts ablaze.
According to local sources, the attack involved a significant number of armed individuals who struck both posts simultaneously. Intense gunfire and explosions were heard echoing across the area for an extended period as the assault unfolded.
Following the initial seizure of the two posts, military and police reinforcement convoys that moved in to respond were themselves ambushed at two separate locations along their route. Multiple security personnel were killed in the attacks on the convoys, and at least four police officers sustained injuries during the engagement.
The main highway in the area reportedly remained blocked by the armed groups throughout the operation, preventing the free movement of security forces and emergency responders for several hours, effectively cutting off the area from outside assistance.
In a particularly significant development, local sources confirmed that a fire broke out inside an arms depot located within one of the captured posts, triggering a major explosion. The blast have caused additional casualties among security personnel stationed at the post, though no confirmed figures are available at this stage. The explosion was heard at considerable distance from the site of the attack, according to local sources.
After establishing full control over both posts, the armed groups systematically confiscated all weapons and ammunition before setting fire to the positions and withdrawing from the area.
The seizure and destruction of two security posts, combined with the confiscation of an arms cache and the successful ambush of reinforcement convoys at two separate locations, represents one of the most significant and coordinated militant operations reported in Ziarat district in recent memory.
Throughout the attack, armed groups maintained a blockade on the main highway, severely restricting movement and delaying any security force response. The blockade lasted for several hours, effectively isolating the Kharwari Baba area during the critical period of the assault.
The simultaneous use of highway blockades alongside direct attacks on security posts points to a high level of planning and coordination, according to observers familiar with militant tactics in the region.
No armed group has so far claimed responsibility for the assault.
