Dera Bugti offensive: FC claims killing 10 more suspected militants

Operation in Gandyari comes three days after 30 suspected militants were killed by security forces in Sui.

QUETTA:

Frontier Corps (FC) Balochistan claimed killing 10 more suspected militants in Dera Bugti district on Sunday. The operation – carried out in the district’s Gandyari town, some 250 kilometres southeast of Quetta – came just three days after paramilitary troops killed 30 suspected militants during a search operation in Sui.

“We can confirm that 10 militants of the outlawed Balochistan Republican Army (BRA) have been killed in an operation in Gandyari today,” said FC Balochistan spokesman Manzoor Ahmed. “The forces started operation against the BRA militants early in the morning after receiving information that they were hiding there,” he added.



According to an official handout released by FC Balochistan, the militants killed in the Gandyari offensive were involved in several bomb blasts and attacks on trains and state installations. Gandyari, which lies close to the borders of Balochistan, Sindh and Punjab provinces, is said to be the hub of militant groups carrying out attacks on trains, bridges and security forces.

Three militant camps were also destroyed during the operation in Gandyari and a huge arms and ammunition cache was recovered, the handout stated.

Earlier on Thursday, 30 suspected BRA militants, including two commanders, were killed by FC Balochistan troops in Sui.



Talking to reporters soon after the operation, Home Minister Sarfraz Bugti said the fresh offensive in Dera Bugti was being carried out in response to attacks against important government installations and security forces, and other sabotage activities in Balochistan.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 9^th, 2014.