AP

Pakistani officials: Baluch insurgents abduct, kill officer

Jul 13, 2022, 8:30 PM | Updated: Jul 14, 2022, 12:28 pm

QUETTA, Pakistan (AP) — The body of a Pakistani army officer, abducted earlier this week by separatist insurgents disguised as security forces, was found Thursday on a remote highway in the restive southwestern Baluchistan province, officials said.

Col. Laeeq Mirza was traveling with his family from the town of Ziarat, 100 kilometers (60 miles) northeast of Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan, when the assailants seized them on Tuesday. The family was headed to a tourist resort in the area.

The attackers later that night freed the other family members who raised the alarm about the abduction, but kept the officer.

The outlawed Baluchistan Liberation Army, designated a terrorist group by the United States in 2019, claimed responsibility for the killing. Its claim of responsibility stated that the colonel’s family members were not harmed because they were not involved in any crimes against the group.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif condemned the killing. The military confirmed that Mirza was “martyred” by his abductors.

The army said that one other family member — Mirza’s cousin Umar Javed, who was traveling with him and who was also abducted — remains in captivity. The military was undertaking efforts to find and rescue the hostage, the statement said.

The statement also added that the military had shot and killed two insurgents during the operation to find the hostages.

“We will do our best to trace, arrest and punish those who martyred our army officer,” said chief minister in Baluchistan province, Mir Abdul Qadoos Bizenjo.

For years, Baluchistan has been the scene of a low-level insurgency by the Baluchistan Liberation Army and other separatist groups demanding independence from the central government in Islamabad. Although the government says it has quelled the insurgency, violence in the province has persisted.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

AP

Image: A cargo ship is stuck under the part of the structure of the Francis Scott Key Bridge after ...

Associated Press

Authorities identify 2 bodies recovered at site of Baltimore bridge collapse

A major bridge in Baltimore snapped and collapsed after a container ship rammed into it early Tuesday, and several vehicles fell into the river below.

20 hours ago

Photo: Mountaineer Jim Whittaker has died at 95....

Gene Johnson, The Associated Press

Lou Whittaker, among the most famous American mountaineers, has died at age 95

Lou Whittaker, a legendary American mountaineer who helped lead ascents of Mount Everest, K2 and Denali, has died at age 95.

20 hours ago

File photo: Former Sen. Joe Lieberman speaks in Washington on Jan. 18, 2024....

Associated Press

Former Sen. Joe Lieberman, Democrats’ VP pick in 2000, dead at 82

Former U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, who nearly won the vice presidency on the Democratic ticket with Al Gore in 2000, has died.

20 hours ago

islamic state attack...

Vanessa Gera, The Associated Press

What we know after the Islamic State group claims responsibility for Moscow massacre

The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for an attack on a suburban Moscow concert hall that killed at least 133 people.

4 days ago

Moscow shooting...

The Associated Press

Russia: 60 dead, 145 injured in concert hall raid; Islamic State group claims responsibility

Assailants burst into a concert hall in Moscow on Friday and sprayed the crowd with gunfire, killing over 60 people, injuring more than 100.

6 days ago

Photo: Britain's Kate, Duchess of Cambridge visits 282 (East Ham) Squadron, RAF Air Cadets, Cornwel...

Associated Press

Kate Middleton announces she has cancer, is undergoing chemotherapy

Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, says she is undergoing chemotherapy to treat cancer. She has been out of view since Christmas.

6 days ago

Pakistani officials: Baluch insurgents abduct, kill officer