Pakistan: Balochistan demands withdrawal of armed forces from district after 3 levies personnel killed

Balochistan on Tuesday demanded the withdrawal of Frontier Corps and armed forces from the district after three levies personnel were killed in a roadside explosion.

In a sit-in in Ziarat, Balochistan for the past five days with three bodies of levies personnel who were killed by a roadside bomb blast

"5th day of Sit-In in Ziarat along with 3dead bodies of Levies personnel who were killed by a roadside bomb. Even people had to protest for state personnel killed. The state had exonerated itself from its basic responsibilities. No apathy. #StopSiegeOfZiarat #RemoveFCFromZiarat," tweeted Manzoor Pashteen, founder and head of Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM), an anti-war movement, struggling for peace and human rights in the Pashtun belt.

These hashtags #RemoveFCFromZiarat, #StopSiegeOfZiarat were trending on social media regarding the incident.

Three Levies personnel were killed and as many injured when their vehicle hit a landmine in Balochistan's Ziarat district on Thursday, reported Dawn.

The explosion occurred when the Levies vehicle ran over a landmine near Mangi Dam, provincial government spokesperson Liaquat Shahwani said.

Security sources said four labourers working at Mangi Dam were kidnapped by unidentified armed suspects. The Levies party was travelling to the area to get the workers released when it hit the landmine, reported Dawn.

The Balochistan Levies is a force in charge of maintaining law and order in the tribal areas of the province while the Frontier Corps is a paramilitary force of Pakistan that is currently stationed in the provinces of Balochistan.

( With inputs from ANI )