File photo 

By The South Asia Times

QUETTA, Pakistan — At least nine police officers, including two station house officers (SHOs), were martyred in a terrorist attack on a police post in Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province, officials said on Tuesday, as security forces later completed a large-scale clearance operation that authorities said resulted in the killing of 15 militants.

The attack took place in the remote Mangi Dam area of Ziarat district, where heavily armed militants stormed a police post late Monday night, according to daily Dawn.

According to local officials, police personnel engaged the attackers in a gun battle before the militants managed to enter the facility. The assault left nine officers dead, making it one of the deadliest attacks on law enforcement personnel in Balochistan in recent months.

Among those killed were the SHOs of Mangi and Kawas police stations, as well as Anti-Terrorist Force (ATF) In-charge Head Constable Saifullah, according to Shahid Rind, spokesperson and adviser to the chief minister of Balochistan.

Rind said the bodies of the fallen officers were being transferred to the District Headquarters Hospital in Ziarat for legal formalities and post-mortem examinations.

The provincial government praised the officers' sacrifices and vowed to continue counterterrorism operations until militancy is eliminated.

- Clearance operation launched

Following the attack, security forces launched a joint clearance operation involving the Frontier Corps (FC), Balochistan Police, the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), the Special Operations Wing (SOW) and the Anti-Terrorist Force (ATF).

Rind said the operation was successfully completed and that 15 terrorists were killed.

Pakistani authorities identified the attackers as members of Fitna al-Khawarij, the term used by the government for terrorists linked to the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

"Those who sought to undermine peace in Balochistan have paid a heavy price," Rind said in a statement.

"There will be no safe haven for terrorists in Balochistan, and every attack will receive a full and decisive response."

Officials also confirmed that Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Ghulam Sarwar and eight other police personnel safely reached Kach police station after navigating difficult mountainous terrain following the attack.

A missing police officer, Constable Rizwan, was also recovered safely.

The attack sparked anger among local residents, who blocked the Quetta-Ziarat Highway in protest, disrupting traffic on the key Quetta-Zhob route.

Long queues of passenger buses, trucks and private vehicles were reported on both sides of the highway as demonstrators demanded stronger security measures and accountability for the attack.

- Continuing insurgency

Balochistan, Pakistan's largest province by area, has long faced violence from terrorist groups and criminal networks.

Pakistani authorities have increasingly blamed the TTP and allied terrorist organizations for attacks on security forces in the province, alongside violence in neighboring Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The latest attack follows several recent assaults on police installations across Balochistan.

Last month, unidentified gunmen attacked police facilities in Qila Abdullah, Pishin and Duki districts, killing one police officer and injuring two others. In April, a police head constable was killed in an attack on a checkpoint in Pishin district.

Violence declines despite major attacks

Despite a number of high-profile incidents, recent data suggests an overall decline in militant violence across Pakistan.

According to the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), anti-state violence and related security incidents decreased nationwide during June.

The think tank reported a particularly notable improvement in Balochistan, where the number of recorded militant attacks fell from 71 incidents in May to 49 in June, representing a 31 percent decline.

However, security officials warn that militant groups remain capable of launching deadly attacks, particularly in remote and mountainous areas where security forces face operational challenges.

The latest assault in Ziarat underscores the continuing security threats facing Pakistan's law enforcement agencies despite ongoing counterterrorism operations and a broader decline in militant violence.