Baloch Insurgents Kidnap, Kill Pak Army Officer

The body of a Pakistani army officer kidnapped by insurgents earlier this week has been found in the southwestern province of Balochistan. Lieutenant Colonel Laiq Baig Mirza was travelling with his family from the town of Ziarat, 100 kilometers from Quetta, when his cousin and he were taken away by the assailants on Tuesday. While the rest of Mirza’s family was allowed to go, his cousin is still missing. The Baloch Liberation Army has claimed responsibility for the incident. In a media statement, the group said Col. Mirza was detained by its Special Tactical Operations Squad in an intelligence-based operation on July 12. The group said it had put Mirza under surveillance for several days and its members had tailed him all day on July 12. It claimed Mirza was involved in “enforced disappearances” of Baloch youth. “He confessed to his crimes and he was sentenced to death,” BLA spokesman Jeeyand Baloch said.