QUETTA: Five suspected militants were killed in Balochistan’s Awaran district on Sunday evening.

A security official, not authorised to speak publicly, said security forces conducted an operation against the militants in the Mashkay area of Awaran.

“Five miscreants belonging to a banned militant organisation were killed during the exchange of fire,” said the security official.

Security forces claim to have recovered a sizeable amount of arms and ammunition from the possession of the militants. Forces also recovered anti-state literature and laptops from the militants safe haven.

Further reinforcements of security forces were called to the area after the skirmish.

Militants have conducted attacks against security forces and national installations in Balochistan, which has been plagued by an insurgency and growing sectarian killings for more than a decade.