QUETTA/GWADAR: Six suspected militants were killed in two encounters with security forces in Balochistan’s Winder and Pasni areas on Tuesday.

“Four of the militants were killed in Winder and two in Pasni,” a security official said, adding that illegal arms and ammunition were found in the places where the clashes had taken place.

According to official sources, Frontier Corps (FC) personnel cordoned off the Winder area of Lasbela district and in cooperation with an intelligence agency carried out a search for militants.

“They opened fire on FC troops who fired back,” they said. “A heavy exchange of fire ensued which lasted for several hours and culminated in the death of four militants.”

An FC spokesman said a large number of weapons, including sub-machine guns and grenades, were seized.

He accused the slain militants of belonging to a banned organisation and being involved in attacks on security forces and heinous crimes, including extortion and kidnapping for ransom.

“The search operation is continuing in the area,” the sources said.

Also on Tuesday, two suspected militants were reported to have been killed in another “encounter” in the coastal town of Pasni in Gwadar district.

The exchange of fire took place in Ward No-7 area of the town, according to police. The dead were identified as Mohammad Younus Kolanchi and Mohammad Hanif Kolanchi.

“Their accomplices managed to escape,” a police official said.

But relatives claimed that Mohammad Younus and Mohammad Hanif had been “missing” for a long time.

Published in Dawn, January 27th, 2016