QUETTA: A suspected leader of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) was killed and seven bullet-riddled bodies were found in Sanjavi and Ziarat on Friday.

According to official sources, the Taliban leader was killed in an operation conducted by Frontier Corps troops and intelligence agency personnel in Chotair area early in the morning.

An FC spokesman said the troops moved into Poi Sharif on an intelligence report, cordoned off the area and launched a search operation during which Taliban suspects opened fire on them.

“A clash ensued which continued for over two hours with heavy weapons used by both sides,” a security official told Dawn. The Taliban leader was killed and two injured suspects were arres­ted. An FC man was injured.

The sources said that the militant who had been killed was involved in kidnapping for ransom and other crimes.

Weapons and ammunition were found in a house where the militants were living, they said.

Meanwhile, “seven bodies were found in two places in Sanjavi”, Balochistan Home Secretary Akbar Hussain Durrani told Dawn.

He said the bodies had been brought to the Quetta Civil Hospital for identification.

“They were lying in Bag­h­aio and Tangasar areas,” San­javi Assistant Commis­sio­­ner Ejaz Shafi Sheikh said.

Mr Durrani said the dece­a­­sed appeared to be Pakh­tuns. They had long beards and appeared to be foreigner or Taliban militants.

Some sources claimed that they might also have been killed in the operation against the TTP.

“Bullet wounds were found on the head and in other parts of the bodies,” Mr Durrani said, quoting hospital sources.

Home department officials said law-enforcement agencies had launched operations against militants following intelligence reports about their presence in various areas after the recent terrorist attack on a school in Peshawar.

They said a red alert had been issued for Quetta after agencies reported that militant groups might attack important installations.

The red zone area where the Governor House, Chief Minister House and Civil Secretariat are located was closed for common people and government employees working at the secretariat were allowed to go to their offices after getting themselves registered and handing over their computerised national identity cards and service cards to security personnel at the main entrance on Zarghoon Road.

Published in Dawn December 20th , 2014