QUETTA: Two suspected militants were killed in a gun battle with security forces in Awaran district on Thursday.

Sources said the security forces launched a search operation in the Jhao area on a tip-off from intelligence agencies.

A heavy exchange of fire took place between the security personnel and militants which continued for two hours. As a result of the gun battle, two suspected militants were killed and one other was arrested.

“Two armed men were killed on the spot,” security officials claimed, adding that the armed suspect taken into custody was handed to the authorities concerned for interrogation.

During the operation, a huge quantity of arms and ammunition was also seized. The bodies were shifted to the district hospital where one of the deceased was identified as Khan Muhammad, a resident of Naal area of Khuzdar district. The other militant could not identified immediately.

The authorities identified the man arrested as Dad Muhammad. Further investigation was in progress.

Meanwhile, the Frontier Corps (FC) arrested six militants of a banned outfit in Quetta and Dera Bugti areas under the ongoing Raddul Fasaad operation.

Security officials said that FC personnel conducted a search operation in Killi Deba area — a locality in the provincial capital — and arrested six militants.

“The arrested militants belong to banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan,” a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations said.

Published in Dawn, December 15th, 2017