Five killed in attack on Shafiq Mengal camp

QUETTA: Five people, including a police constable, were killed and another person was wounded when armed men attacked a camp linked to PPP leader and tribal elder Mir Shafiqur Rehman Mengal in Khuzdar district on Wednesday.

The attack took place in the Aranji area of Wadh tehsil, close to the Quetta-Karachi highway. Police said Mengal was not at the camp when the attackers arrived.

According to Aranji Station House Officer Abdulfateh, several armed men riding motorcycles reached the area and opened fire on a security checkpost at the camp. The assailants first killed four security guards.

The attackers then took a police constable with them before killing him and leaving his body at a different location. Police identified the deceased as Abdul Hayee, Naimatullah, Yahya, Naseer Ahmed and Constable Noor Muhammad.

Obaidullah, an employee of a nearby hospital, also sustained gunshot wounds during the attack. He was taken to the district hospital along with the bodies of the victims for medical treatment and identification procedures.

Police and other law enforcement personnel arrived at the scene soon after the incident. Authorities cordoned off the area and began collecting evidence.

A search operation was also launched to locate the attackers and determine their route of escape. Officials said efforts were continuing to identify those responsible for the assault. No group had claimed responsibility for the attack at the time of reporting.

The incident comes nearly two months after a deadly suicide bombing at Mengal’s residence in Khuzdar. At least 17 people, including police personnel, were killed and more than two dozen others were injured in that attack.

The latest assault has raised fresh security concerns in the area, particularly around the protection of political figures, tribal leaders and their security personnel. Further details are expected as the investigation progresses.