Karachi, Jan 30 (PTI) Pakistani security forces thwarted at least three coordinated attacks with rockets and sophisticated weapons after heavily armed terrorists launched a bold attack on Mach jail in the country’s troubled Balochistan province on Monday night.
A senior police official said at least 15 rockets targeted the Central Mach Jail where some dangerous militants and death row prisoners have been incarcerated.
Unconfirmed reports said at least two policemen were killed while a truck driver was injured in the attack but there was no official confirmation of casualties or injuries.
The rockets were fired from nearby mountains and exploded in different areas of Mach town.
After firing rockets, terrorists attacked a camp of the security forces near the central jail and also entered the Mach railway station.
Announcements were then made from loudspeakers for the people to remain indoors as the firing continued, the official said.
“They fired rockets at the Mach jail building but couldn’t hit the target,” Balochistan’s Information Minister Jan Achakzai said.
The Inspector General Prisons in Balochistan, Shuja Kasi, confirmed that rockets hit the walls of the residential colony of the Mach jail.
“Mortar shells and rockets exploded close to the walls of the colony,” he said, adding that no casualty was reported so far.
He said at present 800 prisoners were kept in Mach Jail, including some death-row prisoners.
The minister claimed the terrorists were affiliated with the Aslam Acho group, with the Majeed Brigade of the banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) group later claiming responsibility for the attack.
One security official said the gun battle between the heavily armed terrorists and forces had lasted for a couple of hours before they fled into the surrounding mountains before daylight broke.
He said no damage was reported to any installations. PTI CORR PY PY PY
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