Monday, March 21 2005 10:14 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Islamabad: Armed tribesmen have surrounded around 300 Pakistani paramilitary personnel and Government officials at a rebel stronghold in the troubled southwestern Balochistan region, triggering fears of a major confrontation between Baloch nationalists and Government forces.

Some 300 paramilitary personnel, members of soldiers' families and the local commandant of the town have been encircled by armed members of Bugti tribe, whose leaders have demanded more autonomy, in Dera Bugti town, Provincial Governor Awais Ahmed Ghani said.

The rebels, who have also demanded stoppage of construction of Army cantonments and mega projects, have surrounded the paramilitary compound; Ghani said and urged Nawab Akbar Bugti, the Chief of the Bugti tribe to lift the siege.

The tribesmen have erected road blocks and dug trenches along the roads leading to Dera Bugti, about 300 km from provincial capital Quetta, forcing people to flee the area for safety, he said.

Situation in the area has been tense since a fierce gun battle between paramilitary forces and Bugti tribesmen on Thursday (Mar 17, 2005), which left eight solders and 23 tribesmen dead.

At least 50 people from both sides were injured in clashes, which according to officials started after an Army convoy was attacked. "The situation is stable but tense," the Governor told reporters at Quetta.

Ghani said that helicopters were airlifting essential commodities to the besieged troops.

Residents have been evacuated Dera Bugti on the orders of Akbar Bugti, Ghani said. But a spokesman of Jamburi Watan Party (JWP), which is headed by Bugti, denied it, saying no such orders have been issued.

The spokesman claimed the area has now been controlled by the Butgi armed men.

JWP, along with other provincial parties, had raised a banner of revolt demanding stoppage of construction of Army cantonments and all mega projects like Gwadar port under taken with the assistance from China fearing massive influx of outsiders, specially people from the dominant province Punjab.

Meanwhile, a series of explosions rocked the Balochistan area injuring at least four persons.

A bomb blast took place near a camp of the paramilitary forces Frontier Corps at Turbat Kechh district, resulting in disruption of power supplies as the explosion damaged the power pylons, reports said.

Four persons were injured in another bomb explosion near Irrigation office in the same town, local daily 'The Nation' said. This was followed by one more explosion at the residence of the Accounts General in Shabaz town but no one was hurt, it said.