Due to this attack, the population in the vicinity of Turbat Airport and Naval Base spread fear and panic. At the time of the attack, Mubarak Baloch, a resident of Turbat, was drinking tea with his friends at a hotel approximately one kilometer away from the attack site.
Mubarak Baloch said on the phone that around 10 o’clock, heavy firing started with explosions, which frightened all the people sitting at the hotel because the intensity of the firing and explosions was very high.
Mubarak Baloch said that this caused a lot of panic among the people and hotels etc. where some people meet with friends till dawn were immediately closed and people went to their homes.
He said that the firing from the Naval Base and the Airport continued till 6 in the morning. Similarly, it was not possible for people in the vicinity, including women and children, to sleep throughout the night.
It should be noted that according to the statement issued by the Public Relations Department of the Pakistan Army (ISPR), the security forces have foiled an attempt to attack Pakistan Navy’s Air Base PNS Siddique in the presence of terrorists. The statement added that in this attack, the forces thwarted the attack with a timely and effective response while ensuring the security of the assets.
According to the ISPR, the attack on Airbase PNS Siddiq Turbat was carried out between the night of March 25 and 26, after which the surrounding security forces were immediately mobilized to assist the naval forces. The response conducted a joint clearance operation, the four terrorists were killed in the joint clearance operation.
Ahad Baloch, another resident near the site of the attack, said that while the firing and explosions continued, people’s sleep was also affected due to the helicopters flying low at night.
He said that along with the noise from the flight of helicopters, it was difficult for people to leave their homes due to their search lights.
Ahad Baloch said that all the surrounding areas were sealed in the morning due to which children studying in public and private schools in these areas could not go to school while people could not go to their work places.
Jameel Baloch, a resident near Turbat Airport, said that after the attack, continuous firing and explosions continued for 45 minutes.
He said that first the series of explosions and firing started around 10:00 and then the series of explosions continued till 11:00 with heavy firing.
He said that during this time there were several explosions, but after 11 o’clock there was silence for some time, but after that there were two or three loud explosions, the intensity of which was much higher than the previous explosions.
He said that the intensity of these two or three explosions was so high that we felt as if they happened very close to our house.
In the videos that this citizen has sent regarding this attack, heavy firing sounds are also heard. When he was contacted at half past two in the night, he said that at that time there was silence and the firing had stopped, however, according to him, the firing started again after three o’clock, which continued until after Suhoor. Stayed.
Asad Baloch, a senior journalist of Turbat, said that normal life is going on in Turbat city, but due to this attack, the number of people in the city is less than on normal days.
He said that there are more security personnel in the city and the roads leading to the airport have been sealed while the traffic in the city is less than usual.
The first of its kind attack in Turbat and the third major attack this year
Turbat is the headquarters of the Kech border district bordering Iran. The entire population of the district including Turbat consists of different Baloch tribes. Although Kech and two other districts of Makran Division contain different Baloch tribes like other areas of Balochistan, there is no tribal system in Makran Division.
Kech also has a high education rate compared to other areas of Balochistan, while Kech is one of the areas most affected by insurgency since the deterioration of the situation in Balochistan.
In the past decade and a half, incidents of attacks on security forces, bomb blasts and target killings in Turbat and other areas of Kech district have been happening more or less, but this is the first attack of its kind on a sensitive government facility.
Earlier similar attacks were carried out by the outlawed BLA’s Majeed Brigade in Panjgur and Nushki on FC headquarters in February 2022.
Officials say that unknown armed attackers tried to target the naval base in Turbat. A senior government official in Quetta told BNC that the attackers entered from the civilian side of the airport, but the security forces foiled their attempt to enter the Naval Air Base with timely action.
The area where this attack took place in Turbat is a very important area in terms of security.
In addition to Turbat Airport, the Siddique Naval Base and the Naval Air Base are also located in this area. According to the government officials, all these installations are not together but at some distance from each other.
The naval airbase at Turbat became operational in 2017, with the aim of achieving greater naval stability in the Arabian Sea and strengthening the security of CPEC projects.
Although this was the first incident of its kind in Turbat this year, it was the third major attack by the outlawed BLA’s Majeed Brigade in Balochistan. Earlier on March 20
