QUETTA: At least six people including three security personnel were injured on Friday after unidentified armed men opened fire on the convoy of Balochistan Home Minister Meer Zia Ullah Langau in the Kund Umrani area of Mastung.
The Balochistan home minister remained unharmed, police said.
According to police, the incident took place in the Khad Kocha Kund Umrani area of Mastung on the Quetta-Karachi highway, where armed men targeted the home minister’s convoy.
A gun battle also took place between police and the attackers, leaving six people including three security personnel injured, including Anti-Terrorism Force personnel Nasrullah, Samiullah and Zakaria.
Police said that one of the injured security personnel was in critical condition.
The injured were initially shifted to Nawab Ghous Bakhsh Hospital in Mastung for medical treatment and were later referred to Quetta for further care.
According to police, Langau remained unhurt during the attack and reached Quetta safely.
The police said that the home minister had travelled to his hometown Kalat to attend Independence Day celebrations and was returning to Quetta when his convoy came under attack in Mastung.
Following the incident, police launched an operation in the area to track down the attackers.
Meanwhile, Langau said that a “cowardly attack” on his convoy in Mastung would not weaken his resolve, as the provincial government blamed the banned militant group it referred to as “Fitna al-Hindustan” for the assault.
Langau said that he could not be intimidated by such attacks and vowed that his commitment to Pakistan would remain unchanged.
“I cannot be intimidated by these firecrackers,” Langau said, describing the attack as an attempt to undermine the resolve of the government and security forces.
“Pakistan Zindabad was, is and will remain,” he added.
The minister said such attacks could neither weaken his determination nor diminish his love for Pakistan.
Meanwhile, adviser to the provincial home minister Babar Yousufzai said that the convoy was targeted by what he described as “Fitna al-Hindustan”.
He praised the police personnel for successfully repelling the attack, saying security forces responded to the militants for around 20 minutes.
“The cowardly enemy fled after being given a strong response,” Yousufzai said.
No independent confirmation was immediately available regarding the identity of those responsible for the attack.
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