ISLAMABAD: At least nine policemen were killed in a terrorist attack at a police post in Pakistan's Balochistan province, officials said on Tuesday.
The incident took place on Monday night at the police post in Ziarat district's Mangi Dam area.
Ziarat Deputy Commissioner Abdul Qudoos Achakzai confirmed that nine policemen were killed and further added that five remain missing, Dawn newspaper reported.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack and paid tribute to those killed, state broadcaster PTV reported.
Additional personnel have been dispatched to the area, and an operation to recover the missing police officials is underway, Achakzai said.
Those killed included the station house officers of Mangi and Kawas police stations, and Anti-Terrorist Force in-charge Head Constable Saifullah, Balochistan chief minister's aide Shahid Rind said in a statement.
Meanwhile, in a separate statement, Rind said that 15 terrorists of the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were killed in the clearance operation initiated following the attack.
TTP, a militant group, is designated as a terrorist organisation by the United Nations.
"The clearance operation has been completed. Terrorists paid a heavy price for challenging the law and order in the province," Rind said in a post on X, adding that intelligence-based operations against terrorists would continue with greater intensity.
"We will not allow anyone to harm the peace of Balochistan. We will continue the fight against the enemies of peace until they are completely eliminated,” Sharif was quoted as saying.