At least 33 police trainees have been killed in an attack on a police academy in Pakistan, officials say.
The death toll was confirmed hours after gunmen stormed the training college in Pakistan s restive southwestern province of Baluchistan. At least 100 others have been injured, some of them critically. Between four and six gunmen raided the training centre, attacking a dormitory where the trainees were resting and detonating suicide vests.
They were rushing toward our building firing shots so we rushed for safety toward the roof and jumped down in the back to save our lives, one of the trainees told Geo television. At least three explosions were reported at the scene by local media. Pakistani police and paramilitary forces exchanged fire with the gunmen for several hours after the attack.
At least one of the attackers was killed in the counter-terror operation and two detonated their explosive vests, according to Baluchistan Home Minister Sarfaraz Bugti. He said security forces have now completed their operation, but are still engaged in the cleanup process. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack.
It came hours after gunmen shot and killed two customs officers and wounded a third near the town of Surab, about 90 miles south of Baluchistan s provincial capital Quetta. Baloch separatist groups in Baluchistan have claimed similar hit-and-run attacks on security forces and government officials in the past. Islamic militants also have a presence in the province, which borders Afghanistan.
More follows
(c) Sky News 2016: Dozens killed in Pakistan police academy attack1
Comments
comments
References
- ^ Dozens killed in Pakistan police academy attack (iwradio.co.uk)