Nine Policemen Killed as Militants Storm Ziarat Dam Site in Balochistan

Dozens of militants attacked police guarding the Kach Mangi Phase III dam construction site in Balochistan's Ziarat district, killing nine police officers — including two station house officers, Muhammad Hussain (SHO Mangi) and Sohbat Khan (SHO Kowas) — with several personnel reported missing. A joint clearance operation by the Frontier Corps, Balochistan Police, Counter Terrorism Department, Special Operations Wing, and Anti-Terrorism Force killed 15 Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan ('Fitna al-Khawarij') militants in the Mangi area in the hours that followed. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack, saying 'the enemies of peace will not be allowed to undermine stability in Balochistan.' The assault was among the deadliest single incidents in the coordinated militant offensive that triggered Operation Shaban.