On Aug. 27, riots in the provincial capital Quetta left as least two people dead and a dozen wounded.

Bugti was a former provincial governor and a champion for greater control by Baluch tribespeople of natural resources extracted in the region. He died after troops attacked his cave in the Kohlu area, about 220 km east of Quetta, officials said. The cave's roof collapsed, killing Bugti and several of his fighters.

In the capital, Islamabad, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said heavy equipment was being moved to the scene of the Aug. 26 raid to clear debris and recover bodies.

"This is a major event in Baluch history. We didn't join this country in 1947 to have our tribal elders, political leaders and children killed," said opposition leader Kachkul Ali Baluch.

Baluchistan, bordering Afghanistan and Iran, has seen decades of conflict as tribespeople led by Bugti pressed for a bigger share of wealth from the province's gas, oil and other resources. Bugti's tribal militia has mounted guerrilla-style resistance as the armed forces have moved to establish garrisons and assert government control over the lawless region.

The Japan Times Weekly: Sept. 2, 2006
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