Heavy firefight kills a dozen ‘criminals’

QUETTA:

Security forces killed a dozen alleged criminals in a 16-hour-long firefight in the Chagai district of Balochistan – on the confluence of the borders with Iran and Afghanistan, officials said on Friday. Three tribesmen who were assisting the security personnel were also killed in the gun battle.

A group of armed men fled to the mountainous area in the Zardgan region after killing a tribesman in Chagai last week, according to the Levies Force.

After a brief chase, Levies personnel pinned the men down in the mountains where they had taken up positions. The armed men, seeing no escape route, opened fire on Levies personnel. The law enforcers retaliated and a firefight ensued.

“The gun battle lasted about 16 hours – and 15 people, including 12 criminals, were killed,” Deputy Commissioner Tufail Baloch told The Express Tribune.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 9^th, 2012.