QUETTA: Eight tribesmen and a young girl were killed in separate incidents in Balochistan on Sunday, including an armed attack in Qila Abdullah and a clash in Dera Bugti, officials said.
In the first incident, a senior police official said that a group of armed men entered the Killi Badawan area and began firing on their opponents, which resulted in the death of four tribesmen and a young girl.
The four tribesmen died on the spot after receiving multiple bullet injuries, while the young girl succumbed to her wounds when taken to Quetta for treatment. The official added that before fleeing the area, the armed men fired “hundreds” of bullets in the air.
A heavy contingent of police and law enforcement agencies reached the site of the incident and launched an operation to trace the perpetrators.
Police said the armed attack stemmed from an old enmity as the aggrieved party had killed six persons of the attackers some time ago. One of the attackers was also quoted as declaring on the spot, “We have taken revenge today”.
Later, the attacked tribe briefly blocked the Quetta-Chaman highway, staging a protest with the bodies and demanding the arrest of the armed assailants.
However, Qila Abdullah Deputy Commissioner Manzoor Magsi and the assistant commissioner held successful negotiations with the protesters, following which the traffic was restored after several hours.
In another incident, two rival factions of the Bugti clan exchanged fire over a marriage proposal in Dera Bugti.
“Armed men of both groups took position with automatic weapons and opened fire against each other,” a senior police officer told Dawn, adding that four people were killed from both sides and another was injured.
The injured were shifted to the district hospital. A heavy contingent of law enforcement personnel was deployed in the area to prevent further clashes.
