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Militants Storm Police College Near Quetta, Pakistan At Least 20 Die as Militants Storm Police College Near Quetta, Pakistan
(about 3 hours later)
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — At least six heavily armed attackers stormed a police training college in southwestern Pakistan late Monday, trapping at least 250 cadets and staff. The security forces quickly mounted an operation to clear the premises, army officials said. ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — A police training college in southwestern Pakistan became a battleground early Tuesday as security forces clashed with three militants who had killed a sentry and stormed the college hours earlier, trapping at least 250 cadets, officials said.
It was not immediately clear how many people were being held hostage, but heavy exchanges of gunfire were reported between the attackers and the security forces early Tuesday. Intelligence officials said army commandos had entered the building that the militants had taken, and were in the process of clearing rooms. At least 12 people were taken to hospitals, officials said. At least 20 people were killed by gunfire, according Mir Sarfraz Bugti, a minister of Baluchistan Province.
The siege unfolded near Quetta, the capital of the restive Baluchistan Province, which has simmered with a low level separatist insurgency by Baluch rebels. At the same time, Taliban militants maintain a presence in Quetta and many regions of the province that borders Afghanistan. ”Within four hours, we have cleared the compound,” Mr. Bugti said, adding that two of the attackers blew themselves up and the third was shot.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. Maj. Gen Sher Afgun of the Frontier Corps, a paramilitary force, at a news conference with Mr. Bugti, said the attack began about 11:10 p.m. Monday at the police college, which is about 9 miles from Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan.
Nawab Sanaullah Zehri, the chief minister of Baluchistan, told local news media that “we received intelligence reports three to four days back that terrorists, suicide bombers planned to target Quetta.” The general said that the militants belonged to Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, an extremist group, and were in contact with handlers in Afghanistan.
The authorities had been warned that an attack in or near Quetta was imminent.
The college’s three compounds has a single entrance, officials said, and the militants were able to enter by killing the sentry in a watchtower. Some 250 cadets were trapped for several hours as security forces mobilized to retake the compounds.
Quetta has been simmering with a separatist insurgency by Baluch rebels. And Taliban militants maintain a presence in Quetta and many regions of the province, which borders Afghanistan and Iran.
Nawab Sanaullah Zehri, the chief minister of Baluchistan, told the local news media that “we received intelligence reports three to four days back that terrorists, suicide bombers planned to target Quetta.”
“Security was already on high alert and maybe that is why they have targeted the police training center on the outskirts of the city,” Mr. Zehri told the GEO News television network.“Security was already on high alert and maybe that is why they have targeted the police training center on the outskirts of the city,” Mr. Zehri told the GEO News television network.
The police training college, about nine miles from Quetta city, covers about 250 acres.