Suicide bombers attack IGP's office in Balochistan; 9 killed
Islamabad/Karachi, Jan 29: Heavily armed suicide bombers attacked the Deputy Inspector General's office in Pakistan's restive southwestern Balochistan province Tuesday, killing nine people, including eight policemen.
The attack in Loralai also injured 21 others, including policemen and civilians. The injured who were shifted to hospital for treatment.
In a statement, the army said that three armed suicide bombers attempted entry into DIG police office compound Loralai when about 800 candidates were present in its premises for enrolment in Balochistan police.
"Police on duty responded and shot one of three suicide bombers at entry of DIG complex who also blew himself. Other two started indiscriminate firing and got into one of the side rooms," the statement said.
Nine persons, including eight policemen, and one civilian candidate were killed in the attack that also left 21 others, including 12 policemen, injured.
"All terrorists have been killed during the operation," the army said.
Inspector General of Police (Balochistan) Mohsin Hassan Butt said the terrorists attacked the office premises when a recruitment test for police clerks was underway.
"They attacked the office with gunfire and explosives. They initially opened fire and then detonated explosives," he told reporters.
The Medical Superintendent of Loralai Civil Hospital, Dr Fahim Kakar, said that they were treating 18 injured from the attack and conditions of two civilians was critical and they had been shifted to the military hospital.
No group has claimed the responsibility for the attack. However, Baloch nationalists carry out such attacks.
Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan condemned the attack and ordered a probe.
The attack comes just a day after it was reported that the government plans to raise a 50,000-strong special security force to ensure unhindered exploration of gas and oil in the remote and no-go areas of Balochistan which has witnessed regular violence from separatists and militants.
In a similar attack on January 1, four security personnel were killed when terrorists tried to storm the Frontier Corps training centre in the province. Four terrorists were also killed in the gunfight.
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Indian mobile hospital treats over 2,200 cyclone-hit people as New Delhi ramps up relief efforts in
Colombo (PTI): A mobile hospital set up by India in Sri Lanka has provided medical care to over 2,200 people affected by Cyclone Ditwah, as New Delhi ramped up its assistance to the flood-ravaged island nation with engineering support and delivery of fresh relief consignments, the Indian mission here said on Sunday.
Sri Lanka has been grappling with widespread flooding, landslides and severe infrastructure collapse triggered by the cyclone, leaving several districts isolated and severely straining the country's disaster-response capacity.
At least 627 people have been killed and 190 remain missing as of Sunday noon due to catastrophic floods and landslides caused by extreme weather conditions since November 16.
Sharing a social media post by the Ministry of External Affairs on its X handle, the Indian High Commission said a field hospital set up by India in Mahiyanganaya near Kandy has provided medical care to more than 2,200 people affected by the cyclone since December 5.
The hospital has also performed 67 minor procedures and three surgeries, it said. The field hospital was airlifted to Sri Lanka by an IAF C-17 aircraft along with a 78-member Indian medical team on Tuesday.
In another post, the mission said Indian Army engineers, working with Sri Lanka Army Engineers and the Road Development Authority, in Kilinochchi have begun removing a damaged bridge on the Paranthan–Karachchi–Mullaitivu (A35) road, a key route disrupted by the cyclone.
"This joint effort marks another step toward restoring vital connectivity for affected communities," it said.
India has additionally sent nearly 1,000 tonnes of food items and clothing contributed by the people of Tamil Nadu. Of these, about 300 tonnes reached Colombo on Sunday morning aboard three Indian Naval ships.
High Commissioner Santosh Jha handed over the supplies to Sri Lankan Minister for Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development Wasantha Samarasinghe.
India, on November 28, launched 'Operation Sagar Bandhu', a Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) initiative, to aid Sri Lanka in its recovery from the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah.
Since the launch of the operation, India has provided about 58 tonnes of relief material, including dry rations, tents, tarpaulins, hygiene kits, essential cloths, water purification kits and about 4.5 tonnes of medicines and surgical equipment, the Indian mission said in a press release on Sunday.
Another 60 tonnes of equipment, including generators, inflatable rescue boats, Outboard Motors, and excavators, have also been brought to Sri Lanka, it said, adding that 185 tonnes of Bailey Bridge units were airlifted to restore critical connectivity along with 44 engineers.
Two columns of the National Disaster Response Force, comprising 80 experts and K9 units with specially trained dogs, assisted with immediate rescue and relief efforts in Sri Lanka.
Besides the field hospital in Mahiyanganaya, medical centres have also been set up in the badly hit Ja-Ela region and in Negombo. INS Vikrant, INS Udaygiri, and INS Sukanya provided immediate rescue and relief assistance to Sri Lanka.
Apart from the two Chetak helicopters deployed from INS Vikrant, two heavy-lift, MI-17 helicopters of the Indian Air Force are actively involved in evacuations and airlifting relief material, the release said.
At the request of the Sri Lankan Disaster Management Centre, a virtual meeting was organised between DMC and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)'s National Remote Sensing Centre on Saturday.
Since the onset of the disaster, ISRO has been providing maps to assist DMC in its rescue efforts, the release said.
