Nine alleged militants killed, five held in Balochistan search operation

The militants were allegedly involved in the Mastung and Turbat attacks which had left 40 people dead

QUETTA: As many as nine alleged militants, including three commanders, were killed while five others were arrested during a search operation in Awaran and Khuzdar areas of Balochistan on Monday.

“A key commander among the nine militants was targeted during the raid,” a senior official of the Frontier Corps told The Express Tribune, “They were involved in Mastung and Turbat attacks in recent months where 40 people were killed.”

The operation, which the sources said began in the early hours of Monday, was conducted following intelligence reports that some militants had been hiding in the area.

Read: Jaishul Islam chief among three killed in Quetta operation

On July 7, three suspected militants, including a top commander of the banned Jaishul Islam Balochistan militant group, were killed during a search operation conducted by FC and other security agencies at Eastern Bypass in Quetta.

Read: 243 suspected militants arrested in Quetta search operation

Talking to The Express Tribune, Balochistan Home Minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti confirmed that the chief of the outfit Mehmood Rind was killed in a search operation. He claimed that Rind had been involved in sectarian attacks in Quetta.