Pakistan, July 7 -- Nine police personnel embraced martyrdom after heavily armed terrorists launched a coordinated attack on a police checkpost in the Kach Mangi Phase III area of Balochistan's Ziarat district on Tuesday. The assault triggered an intense overnight gun battle, claiming the lives of nine officers, including Station House Officer Muhammad Hussain of Mangi and Station House Officer Sohbat Khan of Kowas, before security forces regained control of the area.

Soon after the attack, security agencies launched a large-scale joint clearance operation across the mountainous region to track down the assailants. The operation involved the Frontier Corps, Balochistan Police, Counter Terrorism Department, Special Operations Wing and Ant...