Tipped off: FC troops destroy six militant camps in Dera Bugti

The camps belonged to Baloch Republican Army

QUETTA: Security forces destroyed six militant camps and arrested two suspected militants in a raid in Balochistan on Saturday, officials said. Seven other militant suspects were arrested in a raid carried out three days ago, security sources also revealed.

“The Frontier Corps (FC) in Balochistan has destroyed six camps of the banned Baloch Republican Army (BRA) in the Sangsilla area of Dera Bugti district during a search operation conducted along with intelligence officials,” an FC spokesman said. “Two BRA militants were also arrested during the operation,” he told The Express Tribune.

The operation was carried out after FC and intelligence officials were tipped off about the presence of militants in Sangsilla, the spokesman said. According to him, the six camps were set up by BRA to train militants and provide them with hideouts.

FC troops also seized caches of arms and ammunition from the camps, he added.

The spokesman also said that FC officials defused a landmine in the Isplinji area of Mastung district on Saturday.

Meanwhile, security sources revealed that seven militants were arrested in a joint raid carried out by FC and intelligence officials in Chaghi district on Thursday.

“Seven militants belonging to Da’ish and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi were arrested,” in the raid carried out near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, a security official said. “They were hiding in a compound in Chaghi and their aim was to destroy peace in Balochistan,” he said.

The official added that the militants have been moved to an unknown location for interrogation.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 11^th, 2016.