Baloch freedom fight continues

Eight soldiers die in ambush

From correspondents in Quetta, Pakistan
March 19, 2005 EIGHT soldiers were killed and 23 wounded in a fierce battle with tribal militants in Pakistan's troubled southwest, the military said today, while a tribal politician said dozens of tribesmen died.

Today, a day after the clashes in the southwestern province of Baluchistan, bombs exploded in two trains in the troubled region, killing two people and wounding nine.

Balochistan train blasts kill two

Pakistan sets army on tribal protesters

By Justin Huggler and Shiv Malik in Baluchistan

19 March 2005

Pakistan is poised on the precipice of a tribal war in the vast desert province of Baluchistan after the army unleashed helicopter gunships and heavy weapons on local protesters. The Independent has learnt that during two days of violence, more than 60 tribespeople in the region, including women and children, have been killed. Reports suggest the confrontation is becoming increasingly brutal.