One killed after militants storm city in Pakistan

A senior Pakistani government official was killed when Baloch militants briefly seized control of a city in the restive Balochistan province, torching properties and looting a bank, authorities said on Saturday.

Militants belonging to the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) stormed Sorab city in the Khuzdar district late Friday. They ransacked government offices, looted a commercial bank and set fire to the residences of several government officials, according to Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind.

Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Revenue Hidayat Buledi Baloch was killed while trying to save state property and lives during the attack, Rind said. Rind termed the attack a direct challenge to the writ of the state and a "cowardly attempt to destabilise the region".

Security forces, including the Frontier Corps (FC), police, and Levies were rushed to the city after the rebel attack and launched a search and clearance operation. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the cowardly attack.

In a statement, the Prime Minister paid tribute to Buledi, saying that he “set a high example of bravery while fighting terrorists”. The Prime Minister vowed to continue the fight against terrorism till the complete elimination of the menace from the country.

Pakistan has long fought an insurgency in the resource-rich yet impoverished province of Balochistan. The Baloch groups accuse the government of exploiting the region’s natural resources.