A coordinated suicide and armed assault on the residence of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader and prominent tribal figure Mir Shafiqur Rehman Mengal in Khuzdar, Balochistan, left at least 14 people dead, including five police personnel, according to reports on Thursday. The attack occurred on Wednesday and involved a suicide bomber who detonated explosives at the main entrance, followed by armed assailants who opened indiscriminate fire inside the compound.
Attack Details
According to police and security officials, five attackers were also killed during a prolonged gun battle that lasted nearly three hours. Mengal survived the attack unharmed. Authorities described the assault as "highly organised." The suicide bomber first destroyed the front gate, creating an opening for additional attackers. Security personnel stationed at the residence engaged the assailants in an intense exchange of fire, resulting in the deaths of all five attackers.
Following the attack, security forces, police, and other law enforcement agencies cordoned off the area and launched a search operation. The bodies of those killed and the injured were shifted to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) and the Khuzdar Teaching Hospital.
Official Response
Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti strongly condemned the attack, stating that enemies of peace were attempting to undermine stability and public unity in the province. He said, "The government, the people, and security institutions remain committed to defeating terrorism." Bugti praised Mengal for his "courage and steadfastness" in the face of the assault, calling his response an example of the nation's resolve not to yield to terrorism. He directed law enforcement agencies to identify, arrest, and prosecute the attackers and their facilitators, ensuring they are brought to justice.
Previous Attack
Mengal has previously been targeted in terrorist attacks. On December 30, 2011, a powerful suicide car bombing occurred outside his residence on Arbab Karam Khan Road in Quetta, killing 13 people and injuring around 30 others. Mengal and his family survived that attack unharmed. At the time, the banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the bombing.
