At least nine police personnel were martyred after heavily armed militants attacked a police check post in Ziarat district of Balochistan, prompting a large-scale security operation in which 15 militants were killed, officials said.

According to the Ziarat police, the attackers stormed the police post in the Mangi area, triggering an intense exchange of gunfire. The bodies of the fallen officers were shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital for legal formalities and identification.

Officials initially reported that several police personnel had been taken hostage during the assault. However, Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind later confirmed that Deputy Superintendent of Police Ghulam Sarwar and eight other officers reached safety, while Constable Rizwan was successfully rescued during the operation.

The provincial government said a joint clearance operation involving the Frontier Corps (FC), Police, Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), Special Operations Wing (SOW), and Anti-Terrorism Force (ATF) was launched immediately after the attack. Authorities stated that 15 militants were killed during the operation, while the area was cleared of armed attackers.

The martyred personnel included the station house officers of Mangi and Kawas police stations, the ATF in-charge, and several other officers and constables.

The Balochistan government vowed to continue intelligence-based operations, saying there would be no safe haven for militants and that every attack would receive a decisive response.