Encounter: Banned outfit leader killed in Mastung

The district has been on the radar on account of repeated killings.

QUETTA: At least one person, suspected to be commander of a banned outfit, was killed and two others were arrested along with a cache of arms and ammunition in an encounter with security forces in the Dasht area of Mastung district on Wednesday.

Mastung district of Balochistan has been on the national radar for quite some time on account of repeated killings of the Hazara Shia pilgrims going from Quetta to Iran.

Sources in security forces confirmed that the suspects were wanted in cases of attacks on Hazara pilgrims, police, Levies personnel and Nato supply trucks.

DIG Investigation Fiyaz Sunmbal said that following a tip-off, security forces including police, Frontier Corps, Levies and Anti-Terrorist Force conducted a targeted operation in Dasht.

The suspects were cornered but instead of surrendering they opened fire on the security forces, he said.



“In the retaliatory firing, a suspected member of banned outfit was killed while two of his accomplices were caught injured,” he added. A suspect managed to flee from the scene, said DIG investigation.

Official weapons were also recovered from the custody of the suspects which they might have snatched after killing Levies personnel, DIG Sunmbal said.

Sources said that the suspects have been shifted to unknown place for investigation, sources said.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 11^th, 2013.