Ambush on Foreign Convoy During Independence Day Celebrations
In a violent security breach on Pakistan’s Independence Day, unidentified armed assailants launched a direct attack on the convoy of Balochistan Home Minister Mir Ziaullah Langove. The incident took place in the Khad Kocha area within the Mastung district of Balochistan while the minister was traveling back to Quetta after attending official Independence Day functions at the Deputy Commissioner’s Office in Kalat. Despite the heavy barrage of gunfire aimed at the official vehicles, Minister Langove escaped the high-stakes assault entirely unharmed.
Heavy Exchange of Fire Leaves Security Personnel Injured
The ambush escalated into an intense 20-minute gun battle between the armed attackers and the security detail accompanying the minister. According to police sources, at least six individuals sustained bullet injuries during the prolonged firefight, including three Anti-Terrorism Force (ATF) police personnel. The wounded security guards were immediately rushed to Shaheed Nawab Ghous Bakhsh Raisani Memorial Hospital for primary emergency care, with critically injured officers subsequently transferred to Quetta for specialized medical treatment.
High Alert and Ongoing Search Operations in Mastung
Following the fierce encounter, the armed assailants managed to retreat into the surrounding rugged terrain under cover of retaliatory fire. Heavy contingents of law enforcement personnel, backed by paramilitary troops, cordoned off the Khad Kocha corridor to initiate comprehensive search and sweep operations aimed at capturing the perpetrators. Mastung highway has remained a persistent flashpoint for insurgent violence, with security personnel noting that this incident represents the fourth major attack along the same highway corridor in recent weeks.
Official Condemnation and Government Resolve
Reacting to the assault, Minister Ziaullah Langove publicly condemned the attack as a cowardly attempt to disrupt peace and stability in the province. He reaffirmed that such violent tactics would neither intimidate state officials nor weaken the administration’s resolve to combat insurgent networks operating across Balochistan. Home Department officials echoed these sentiments, reassuring the public that investigations are actively progressing to hold the perpetrators accountable.
