LAHORE: Security forces foiled an attack on the protection squad of the Deputy Commissioner of Tump in Balochistan’s Makran Division, rescuing all personnel of the squad unharmed, according to security sources.
Security sources said the attack was repulsed through a timely and forceful response. The militants — described by the sources as belonging to “Fitna al-Hindustan”, the term the state uses for militant groups it accuses of being backed by India — targeted the Deputy Commissioner’s vehicle in what the sources called a cowardly conspiracy to abduct the squad.
According to security sources, all members of the Deputy Commissioner’s squad were rescued safely and in time. During the operation, the attackers fled, leaving behind their vehicle and weapons. Several of the attackers were reportedly wounded in the response.
The sources did not say whether any arrests had been made or whether a search operation was continuing in the area.
The Makran Division, on Balochistan’s southern coast, borders Iran and includes the port city of Gwadar, the centrepiece of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. The region has long been affected by insurgent violence, with militants targeting security personnel, government officials, infrastructure projects and, at times, workers from other provinces. Tump lies in the border belt close to Iran, an area where security forces frequently report militant movement.
Deputy Commissioners head the district administration and are responsible for law and order, revenue collection and the oversight of development work, which requires them to travel regularly across remote areas. In the more volatile parts of Balochistan, officials move with dedicated protection squads, and roads linking outlying towns to district headquarters are considered among the most vulnerable points for ambushes.
Targeting district administration officials and their security details is a tactic militants have used to challenge the state’s presence in remote areas, and abductions of officials and travellers on highways have been reported in several parts of the province.
The incident comes amid an intensified series of security operations in Balochistan. This week, security forces said they had killed 11 militants in operations in Kharan and Washuk, days after an intelligence-based operation in Kalat in which 12 militants were killed. Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has praised security forces over operations in Chagai and Pishin, while the killing of five labourers from Punjab in Pishin last month underscored the threat facing civilians.
Details of the Tump incident are based on accounts from security sources. Access to the area is restricted, and The Lahore Times could not independently verify the number of attackers involved or reports of their injuries.
According to the security sources, the attackers’ objective was to abduct the squad, the attack was repulsed, all squad members are safe, and the attackers abandoned a vehicle and weapons as they fled. What remains unclear is the number of attackers, the extent of their injuries, and whether any of them were later captured. It is also not known whether the Deputy Commissioner was personally in the vehicle at the time.
The story will be updated as official statements or further details become available.
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