Armed militants attacked the main market in Zehri tehsil of Khuzdar district, setting fire to several government buildings including the Levies Force station, NADRA and Municipal Committee offices and a bank.
According to officials, around 80 militants entered the area from the nearby mountains at around 11 pm and deployed armed men in the market and other places in the tehsil headquarters of Zehri, setting up check points and outposts on the mountains around Zehri bazaar, to counter any action by the security forces.
The militants stormed the Levies police station, took officials hostage, vandalized records and set the building on fire, damaging some parts of the building, furniture and other belongings.
According to bank officials in Quetta, the gunmen later attacked a private bank branch, took staff hostage and looted over Rs90 million from the strong room.
The outlawed Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Kalat Commissioner Naeem Khan Bazai told Dawn that the armed militants had entered Zehri in five vehicles and more than 20 motorcycles, armed with state-of-the-art automatic weapons, and had been in the area for at least eight hours.
He said that when security forces arrived and launched an operation, the militants fled with two Levies vehicles. 20 AK-47 rifles, 4,000 rounds, ammunition and 10 motorcycles were also recovered from their possession.
The militants also attacked the offices of the Zehri Municipal Committee, vandalizing records and setting the building on fire. The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) office was also targeted, destroying government records, computers and other equipment.
The militants used loudspeakers in the central mosque to announce their control over the market and other areas and delivered speeches to the people gathered there.
Security forces cordoned off the area after receiving information about the presence of the militants and launched an operation against the attackers. Military helicopters were also called in to assist in the operation.
