QUETTA: Unidentified militants killed four people and wounded 24 yesterday in a gun and rocket attack on a passenger train in restive southwest Pakistan, officials said. Women and children were among the casualties in the attack in Dozan, some 35km southeast of Quetta, the main town of Baluchistan province beset by separatist, Islamist and sectarian violence. “We have taken two bodies and 24 injured to hospital, the condition of most of them is critical because of excessive bleeding,” Zubair Kurd, an official said, warning that the death toll may increase. He said the attackers were hiding in the mountains and started firing and then fired at least three rockets at the train, which was travelling from Quetta to Rawalpindi, the twin city of Islamabad. “They escaped. We have launched a search operation.” The attack came nine days after separatist gunmen shot dead 14 people, including three security officials, in Mach area, close to Dozan. On August 10, troops said they had killed eight rebels linked to that attack. Baluch rebels have been fighting since 2004 for political autonomy and a greater share of profits from the region’s natural oil, gas and mineral resources. Impoverished Baluchistan is also a flashpoint for surging sectarian violence between Pakistan’s majority Sunnis and Shias, who account for around a fifth of the 180 million population.
Navy inducts two aircraft
KARACHI: Pakistan Navy inducted two ATR-72 aircraft in its fleet to enhance operational flexibility and reach. A ceremony was held at PNS Mehran with Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Mohammad Asif Sandila as chief guest. He said: ATRs are modern and widely operated turboprop platforms equipped with state-of-the-art Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS). Average ground speed of the aircraft is 250 knots with an endurance of about six hours,
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