Pakistani troops backed by military helicopters on Friday dismantled several rebel bases in Balochistan, AP quoted security officials as saying. At least eight helicopters took part in an operation against rebel tribesmen in Zain Koh near Dera Bugti, said a security official. “The helicopters achieved their target by destroying the positions of miscreants,” the official told AFP. He said the tribal militants had been active in the area in recent months. He said that it was an early morning operation and “we have no information about any casualties”. A purported spokesman for the militants said the tribesmen suffered no casualties. Calling reporters from an undisclosed location, he claimed that one helicopter fell during the raid and a dozen people were “believed killed”, but security officials rejected the claim. In another incident on Friday, police arrested a tribal militant wanted over bomb blasts, and killed his accomplice on the outskirts of Quetta, said a senior police official.
Daily Times Monitor adds: Unidentified assailants threw two hand grenades into the joint servant quarters of the Saddar police station and Quetta District Jail, but there were no casualties, reported Aaj TV.