Quetta/Lucky Marwat: Security forces on Thursday shot dead eight terrorists during a clearance operation in Balochistan’s Mazahband range, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.
Terrorism has been on the rise in the country since the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) announced the end of the ceasefire in November last year.
According to the statement issued by the media wing of the army, terrorists tried to ambush the convoy of security forces in the Kech district of Balochistan on Wednesday evening.
“While alert and combat-ready troops not only thwarted this dastardly attempt without loss of life, they immediately followed up using ground and air assets to search for the fleeing terrorists. Operation started,” the statement read.
ISPR said that a suspected hideout of terrorists was identified in the Mazahband range, where a clearance operation was launched.
“As a result, in a fierce exchange of fire, eight terrorists have been killed while a large cache of arms and ammunition, including explosives, has also been recovered,” it added.
The ISPR also vowed that the security forces would continue to thwart any attempt by hostile elements to disrupt the hard-earned peace in the province at the behest of hostile intelligence agencies.
Six militants were killed in an exchange of fire with policemen in Abbasa area in Lakki Marwat on Thursday, police officials said.
He said that the exchange of fire took place when the militants opened fire on the police personnel during an operation.
Officials said that the police and Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) personnel launched the operation on information about the presence of a group of militants in the limits of Didiwala police station.
“When the law enforcers reached there, there was a gun battle,” an official said, adding that the gunfight continued for a while in which six terrorists were killed.
The bodies of the killed fighters were shifted to the hospital. He further said that the four terrorists killed have been identified as Ziaullah alias Kogi, Safatullah alias Drone, Mohibullah and Kaleemullah while two others are being identified.
The police also recovered arms and ammunition from the spot where there was an exchange of fire between the terrorists and the policemen, officials said.
Officials said that the terrorists were apparently planning an attack on Abbasa police post.
The Trans River region of the district has been witnessing an increase in terrorist incidents in the recent past. In November last year, six police personnel were martyred in an attack on a police mobile vehicle in Chowki Abbasa in the same area.
