Policeman shot dead while guarding Hazara community in Quetta

QUETTA: One policeman was killed while another was martyred Wednesday when they were guarding vegetable sellers belonging to the Hazara community in the city.

According to the police, unidentified persons opened fired at an armoured police vehicle when it was being driven from Hazar Ganji to Shalkot.

Following the incident, the area was cordoned off and closed for traffic. 

Attacks on police personnel have become a frequent occurrence in Quetta and other parts of Balochistan.

Sources said the injured policeman has been shifted to the Balochistan Medical Complex where he is being treated. 

On February 28, two policemen were martyred when their convoy was targetted. Rescue officials said the vehicle of DSP Hameedullah Dasti was attacked on Samungli Road by unidentified personnel from two sides.

The DSP and his driver remained unhurt, as the pick-up was bulletproof, but two police officials sitting in the back were killed in the attack.

The deceased were identified as constables Mohammad Tahir and Ayub Shah.

The DSP was posted in the prosecution department and was on his way to court when his vehicle was attacked.

Prior to that, on February 14, four security personnel were martyred when they were attacked near Quetta's Sariab Road area.

Police said unidentified attackers, riding a motorcycle, targetted a motorcycle patrol of the Frontier Corps (FC) while it was on routine duty along a railway track.

On January 28, a policeman was killed in Quetta's Hazarganji area in a targetted attack while on January 18, two Balochistan Constabulary officials were killed in the city.

Similarly, a police constable was shot dead by unidentified attackers on the city's Raisani Road on January 16.