Returning from Pak I-Day event, Balochistan minister's convoy attacked, 3 cops shot

Six people, including three police personnel, were injured when unidentified gunmen attacked the convoy of Balochistan Home Minister Mir Ziaullah Langove in Mastung on Friday. Langove was returning to Quetta after attending a Pakistan Independence Day event in Kalat when his convoy came under attack, The Express Tribune. The minister escaped unhurt.

The injured were taken to Shaheed Nawab Ghous Bakhsh Raisani Memorial Hospital. Doctors at the hospital told Dawn that six injured people had been brought in, with two in serious condition. Two others were later referred to Quetta.

According to police cited by The Tribune, security personnel engaged the attackers for around 20 minutes before the gunmen fled the area. The attack took place at Kund Umarani in Khad Kocha, south of Mastung. Langove had been travelling to Quetta after attending an Independence Day ceremony at the Deputy Commissioner's Office in Kalat. Security forces later cordoned off the area and launched a search operation.

Langove subsequently visited the hospital and inquired about the condition of the injured personnel.

LANGOVE CALLS ATTACK 'COWARDLY'

The minister described the attack as "cowardly" and said it would not weaken the government's resolve to fight terrorism.

"I cannot be intimidated by such firecrackers," he said. The attack, he added, would not weaken his commitment to Pakistan or his determination to continue serving the country.

Balochistan Home Department aide Babar Yousafzai condemned the attack and alleged that the convoy had been targeted by "Fitna al-Hindustan". He praised the security personnel for confronting the attackers and said the forces had responded with courage.

Langove, a member of the Balochistan Awami Party, was sworn in as provincial home minister in March. He had previously held the same portfolio, but his appointment was declared null and void after he was de-notified on August 21, 2024.

REPEATED ATTACKS TARGET SECURITY FORCES

Mastung has remained a major trouble spot in Balochistan, with repeated attacks targeting security forces and civilians. The district was also among several areas of Balochistan hit by coordinated attacks claimed by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) in January 2026. The attacks targeted security installations and other locations, prompting a major military operation.

Violence has continued in the district. In April 2025, a roadside bomb targeting a bus carrying Balochistan Constabulary personnel killed three security personnel and injured 20 others. In July 2026, suspected militants killed a district judge and his security guard in an ambush in Mastung. The attacks have kept the district under heightened security pressure.

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