Islamabad: After 2 days and immense criticism by the Pakistanis, the Pakistan Army finally acknowledged tonight the killing of its 10 personnel in a major attack by Baloch freedom fighters on a security post in Balochistan.
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) issued a statement saying the check post in Kech came under “fire raid” on the night of January 25/26.
It said 10 soldiers were killed while “repulsing” the attack.
One attacker was also killed in the gunfight, it said.
Baloch Liberation Front (BLF), which is fighting for freedom of Balochistan from Pakistan, had said yesterday that 17 Pakistani soldiers had been killed in the attack.
The group had also acknowledged the death of one of its cadres in the attack.
The statement by ISPR, which is the publicity wing of Pakistani Armed forces, came after immense attack by Pakistanis over the silence of the government and the security establishment over the attack.
The Pakistani establishment maintained deafening silence for 2 days even though the BLF made public details of the attack and pictures and videos appeared on the social media.
The silence, even after pictures of coffins of the slain army men appeared on social media, was slammed by Pakistanis.
“#ISPR If v cant acknowledge martyrdom of r soldiers being kiled in the line of duty, thn its a beter to accept #Balochistan as an independent state, after al, al this bloodshd without taking ruthles cold bloded revenge from #BLA bastards wil lead to Visa for entry in Balochistan,” tweeted one netizen by the name Sheza Umbreen, who presents herself as PhD in War & Conflict Studies.
“People who don’t care about the lives of their soldiers. Those who did not even make a single statement on the martyrdom of their martyred soldiers. There is no point in following these people. Unfollow them all,” tweeted one Waqar Ahmed, reflecting acute anger against the Pakistani military.
