SOURCE: DAILYHUNT
As many as 12 Pakistani army personnel were killed on Thursday in two separate attacks in Balochistan’s Gwadar district and the North Waziristan tribal district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
In the first incident, at least six security personnel were killed after a convoy of the state-run Oil and Gas Development Company Ltd (OGDCL) was attacked on the coastal highway in Balochistan’s Ormara, Radio Pakistan reported.
The security personnel lost their lives when terrorists opened fire on them on the highway.
In another incident, six Pakistan army personnel were killed after an IED explosion near the Razmak area of North Waziristan.
The security forces later cordoned off the areas and started a search operation.
Soon after the incidents, an insurgent group, Baloch Raji Aajoi Sangar (BRAS), claimed responsibility for the Balochistan attack in a Twitter post, adding that they will issue a detailed statement soon.
Reacting to the incidents, Prime Minister Imran Khan expressed grief with the families of personnel killed in both the attacks. He sought a report into the incident.
According to Dawn newspaper, Gwadar is essential to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which is part of China’s Belt and Road infrastructure initiative.
The corridor seeks to connect China’s western province of Xinjiang with Gwadar, giving Beijing access to the Arabian Sea.
