Armed attack on Ziarat Cross Customs House and Police Station, 5 personnel martyred, 7 injured, dozens of vehicles set ablaze

Quetta (Syed Sardar Mohammad Khondai)

Last night, unidentified armed men launched a major attack on the Customs House and Police Station at the sensitive location of Ziarat Cross in Balochistan.
According to sources, the armed men suddenly attacked under the cover of darkness and set fire to the Customs House building, the Levies Station, and dozens of small and large vehicles parked there, as a result of which the entire compound was engulfed in flames.
As a result of this attack, 5 personnel were martyred while 7 personnel were injured.
The martyred personnel have been identified as:
Havaldar Ziaullah, Havaldar Samiullah, Naik Noroze, Naik Shakeel, and Sepoy Sajawal.
The injured personnel have been identified as:
Havaldar Jahangir, Naik Sardar, Naik Shabbir, Sepoy Anwar, Sepoy Hikmat, Sepoy Ashiq, and Sepoy Ghulam Rasool.
The injured were immediately shifted to a nearby hospital, where the condition of some is reported to be critical.
Sources say that the burning of vehicles seized and held at the Customs House has caused financial loss worth billions of rupees.
Immediately after the incident, the fire brigade, district administration, and rescue agencies reached the spot and started the process of extinguishing the fire, while security forces cordoned off the area and launched a search operation.
Fear and panic prevail in the area. An official statement regarding the final causes and complete details of the incident has not yet been issued, which is awaited.