QUETTA: Five suspected militants, four of them belonging to two banned militant organisations and one to the Afghan intelligence agency NDS, were killed in a shootout with security forces in Quetta’s Chashma Achozai area on the night between Monday and Tuesday.

The provincial home department has confirmed the killings.

Official sources in the department told Dawn that after receiving intelligence about the presence of some militants in the area who were involved in suspicious activities a police party cordoned off the area.

After confirming that some militants were hiding in a compound, the police party immediately sent wireless messages to other law enforcement agencies. More personnel of police and other law enforcers reached the area.

As soon as security personnel tried to enter the compound, the militants opened fire, leaving one constable injured.

The security personnel returned fire and killed five attackers. The exchange of fire continued for several hours.

The police claimed that the Afghan spy had been living with members of the banned organisations, one of them a religious group, to help them carry out acts of terror in Quetta.

Four of the dead militants were identified as Najeeb, Aijaz, Yousaf and Abdul Khaliq. Their bodies were taken to a hospital in Quetta.

Weapons seized from the compound included Kalas­hni­­kovs, rocket-launchers, pistols, bombs and explosives.

Balochistan Home Minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti told reporters that the militants were planning attacks in Quetta.

Police sources said that the militants had been involved in attacks on security personnel, including an attack on a police van in the Pakhtunabad area of Quetta a few days ago which had left eight police personnel dead. They were also involved in the killing of some FC personnel.

They said that some accomplices of the militants reportedly escaped from the compound during the exchange of fire.

Law enforcers cordoned off the area and were searching for them.

Published in Dawn, June 15th, 2016