Nine individuals, including eight police staff and a civilian, died in a gun-and-explosive attack on the office of the deputy inspector general of police in Balochistan's Loralai district on Tuesday.
At least 18 others also sustained injuries in the attack, as per an information report issued by IG police Balochistan Mohsin Hassan Butt.
The dead included three police constables, two gardeners, one washerman, one cook, a 'Class IV' police employee as well as one civilian.
A clearance operation was carried out following the attack, and according to Balochistan Home Minister Ziaullah Langove, two attackers were killed.
Earlier, Butt confirmed the attack and said that a recruitment test for police clerks was the target of the assault. The office was initially fired on, which was followed by an explosion, he said. The nature of the blast is yet to be ascertained.Medical Superintendent of Loralai Civil Hospital Dr Faheem Kakar had earlier said that of the 17 injured brought to the hospital, two civilians were in critical condition and were shifted to the Combined Military Hospital, Loralai.
On Jan 1, in a similar attack in the same district, four security personnel were martyred during an exchange of fire with terrorists trying to storm the residential and administration compound inside a Frontier Corps (FC) training centre.
According to an Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) release, security personnel had foiled the terrorists' attempt to enter the facility. During the operation, one of the attackers had blown himself up. Later, four terrorists were killed in the clearance operation undertaken by security forces in response to the attack.
Pakistan army says that security forces have cleared DIG Complex, Loralai after it came under attack from terrorists.
In a press statement hours after the bomb and gun attack, ISPR said: "DIG Complex Loralai has been cleared by security forces.All terrorists have been killed during operation. Around 800 candidates present in compound for enrollment in police safely evacuated by security forces."
Earlier this afternoon, three armed suicide bombers attempted entry into DIG police office compound Loralai.
About 800 candidates were present in the compound for enrollment in Balochistan police. Police on duty responded and shot one of three SBs at entry of DIG complex who also blew himself.
Other two started indiscriminate firing and got into one of the side rooms.
Nine persons including 3 policemen, 5 civil employees of police and one civilian candidate embraced shahadat while 21 got injured including 12 policemen and 9 civilian candidates.
FC Balochistan and Army troops were called in.
Troops safely evacuated around 800 candidates. During the clearance operation remaining two suicide bombers have been shot dead and area has been cleared.
The injured have been shifted to CMH Quetta on Army helicopters.
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Police