Terrorists blow up key gas pipeline in northwest Pakistan

Peshawar, Jun 18 (PTI) Unidentified terrorists on Wednesday blew up a key pipeline in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province which supplied gas to the Punjab province, according to local police.

The terrorists blew up the gas pipeline in the restive Lakki Marwat district, triggering a fire and causing a massive gas leak, the district police officer's spokesperson said.

They targeted the key gas pipeline from the Bettani Gas Field to Punjab, using explosives to destroy a main section of the line.

Soon after the blast, security forces were dispatched to the site and cordoned off the area. Emergency teams were also mobilised to control the fire and assess the extent of the damage.

Investigations are underway to identify and apprehend those involved in the attack.

Officials have condemned the incident as an assault on critical national infrastructure aimed at destabilising the region and disrupting essential energy supplies.

Pakistan has witnessed an uptick in terror activities over the past year, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces, after the proscribed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) ended its ceasefire with the government in November 2022.

Lakki Marwat has long been a hotspot for terrorism and violence, with unrest dating back to the early 2000s.  While security operations brought a period of relative calm, militant activity has resurged in recent years, straining local peace efforts and heightening fears of renewed instability.

Earlier this month, three terrorists were killed in the district’s Kot Kashmir area during a gun battle with the police and local peace committee, in which a policeman was also killed.

In May, the police and the personnel of the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) launched a joint operation against terrorists in rural areas of the district. PTI AYZ GRS GRS GRS