Quetta showdown: Three LeJ militants killed in Sariab gunfight

FC spokesman says the militants were involved in bomb blasts, acts of terrorism

QUETTA: At least three militants from an outlawed sectarian extremist group were killed by paramilitary troops in a raid in the Sariab area of Quetta Saturday night.

The militants belonged to Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), a proscribed outfit blamed for most of sectarian violence in the country, according to a spokesperson for the Frontier Corps. He added that the paramilitary force had received intelligence reports about the presence of militants in the Badini area on Sariab Road.

An FC party, aided by sleuths of an intelligence agency, raided the hideout. As the paramilitary troops came close to the hideout, the militants opened fire on them. The troops retaliated and a gunfight ensued.

“Three LeJ militants were killed in the gunfight,” the spokesman said. They were involved in a number of terrorist activities, including bomb blasts, and other criminal acts in the city. The bodies were shifted to hospital for autopsies. “The security forces have started investigations into the incident,” the spokesperson said.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 6^th, 2015.