GWADAR: A suspect said to be a commander of the banned Baloch Liberation Front (BLF) was killed while six other suspected militants were arrested in an operation conducted by security forces in Kech district on Friday.

Official sources said personnel from the Frontier Corps and intelligence agencies conducted a search operation in the Dashat Cross area of Kech district on a tip-off about the presence of militants.

Security forces cordoned off the area before launching the operation, during which the alleged militants opened fire on the forces.

The security personnel immediately returned fire. After a heavy exchange of fire, which continued for an hour, a commander of the BLF died. He was identified as Muhammad Rafiq.

Security forces also arrested six suspected militants in the operation.

“Rafiq was an important commander of the banned organisation which has been involved in attacks on the security forces and killing people,” official sources claimed, adding that the men who were taken into custody were handed over for interrogation.

Sources claimed that three brothers of the deceased had already been killed in an encounter with security forces. They were also from the banned BLF.

The body of the BLF commander was shifted to the district hospital in Turbat.

Published in Dawn, February 25th, 2017