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Balochvoice strongly condemns FC
operation in Dera Bugti killing 60 civilians injuring 150
Frontier Corps forces un-provokingly attacked Dera Bugti town with artillery shelling, rockets and indiscriminate machinegun fire, killing more then sixty women, children and innocent people and
injured 150 on Thursday.
When contacted Nawab Bugti a Baloch Nationalist leaders by satellite phone he claimed that dozens of Bugti tribesmen and local Hindus had been killed and as many as 150 injured when their houses were targeted by FC forces.
According to details FC started artillery shelling, rockets and indiscriminate machinegun fire on Dera Bugti town targeting local residence and the house of Nawab Bugti.
The firing started at 10am and continued till late in the evening on Thursday 17 march 2005. Fire and shelling and stopped at about 7.30 pm after about nine hours of intense battle. In the provincial capitals the government declared an emergency in the Civil Hospital Quetta and Bolan Medical Complex as a large number of injured people were expected from Dera Bugti.
There were contradictory reports about causes of eruption of the fighting. Official sources said that the firing started at Sangsila Cross in the outskirts of Dera Bugti township when a convoy of Frontier Corps comprising six vehicles was intercepted by armed men who were blocking the main road to Sui.
The Inspector General of Frontier Corps, Major General Shujaat Zamir Dar, and provincial Home Minister Shoaib Nausherwani addressing a late-night press conference, denied that any operation had been launched in Dera Bugti and said that the incident took place when armed men blocked the road when a convoy was on its way to Sui from Dera Bugti.
However, Bugti sources said that it was a pre-planned operation and the FC personnel had attacked the
Bugti Baloch first, sparking the gun battle. They accused the FC personnel of
firing rockets and mortar shells that landed and exploded in various areas of the township, including the Hindu Mohallah
near the fort of Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti.
Several rocket hit and exploded in the premises of Nawab Bugti's residence,
killing two injuring seven, members of Nawab Bugtis family are also
amongst the injured. Nawab Bugti informed leader of opposition Kachkol Ali over satellite phone from Dera Bugti that more then 50 people of his tribe had been killed and around 150 injured.
If the government version is correct then the question arises if the conflict took place in FC camp at Sangsila Cross which is 25 kilometers from Dera Bugti how come 50 plus people were killed, including women and children, how come rockets hit Nawab Akbar Khan Bugtis Fort housing Hindu community and his own
residence which is in Dera Bugti 25 kilometers for the place of alleged incidence.
If Baloch armed men attacked a convoy on its way to Sui then how did the 30 members of the Hindu community die and who killed them? Who killed women, children and innocent residents of Dera Bugti? It is worth mentioning that the Hindu community is living in Dera Bugti under the Bugti protection for centuries.
Balochvoice strongly condemns this act of tyranny against the Bugti Balochs and appeals to all the Baloch people especially to the young generation to strongly oppose such repression of our Nation.
Balochvoice appeal to all Baloch |
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New Kahan (Marri Camp) operation, Dera Bugti mass killing, registration of false cases against Baloch nationalist leaders, movement of troops all indicate towards an army operation against the Baloch in Balochistan. It is time we stand shoulder-to-shoulder to fight and defend what is ours. If we
don't fight the Punjabi aggressor and stop it from looting our wealth
and depriving the Baloch from their rights, today, history will never forgive us. By Balochvoice team 21.3.05 |