GWADAR: Balochistan Minister for Health Rehmat Saleh Baloch and his aides survived a rocket and gun attack while going to the Prom area in Panjgur district on Thursday. No one claimed responsibility for the attack.

Security officials said the minister was on his way to Prom with other leaders of National Party and officials of the health department when unidentified assailants hiding in nearby mountains fired a rocket and opened fire on his convoy.

Levies and other security personnel travelling with Mr Baloch returned fire, forcing the attackers to retreat.

“Security personnel travelling with the minister encircled the vehicles of Mr Baloch and his aides so that no harm came to them,” a senior official of the Panjgur administration told Dawn, adding that after the attack the minister went back to Panjgur abandoning his visit to Prom, a locality close to the Pak-Iran border. It was the second attack on Mr Baloch. Security forces have launched a search operation in the area to arrest the attackers.