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Pak army captain killed, two soldiers injured in IED blast in Balochistan
Balochistan, a restive province, has seen an uptick in violence over the past few weeks.
A captain from the Pakistan Army was killed and two soldiers suffered injuries after their vehicle hit an IED planted by terrorists in the Gichik region of Balochistan, news agency ANI reported, citing the Pakistan army’s media affairs wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). The ISPR on Sunday said that the injured were shifted to a medical facility in Khuzdae.
Balochistan, a restive province, has seen an uptick in violence over the past few weeks. Earlier this week, two children were killed along with four others which included a Chinese citizen when a suicide bomber blew himself up targeting a vehicle carrying Chinese nationals in Gwadar province.
Separatist group Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) earlier in July set fire on installations made by Chinese telecom companies in Balochistan’s Quetta and detained six officials who were involved with these telecom projects. The insurgents also believe that the Pakistan government along with these Chinese telecom companies like Huawei, Netcom, Exeleron and ZTE is setting up a communications network in hilly regions of resource-rich Balochistan to spy and trace the region's citizens under the Universal Service Fund programme. The region is also among the focal points of China's $60 billion Belt and Road development programme.
The region also saw increased fights between Baloch insurgents and Pakistan security forces. The freedom movement for a free Balochistan continues to trouble the Pakistan government.
