QUETTA: Three suspected militants were killed in a gun battle with security forces in Kohlu district on Monday, officials said.

The shootout began when personnel of Frontier Corps (FC) cordoned off a place in a far flung area following a tip-off that militants were hiding there.

The suspected militants opened fired on the security men when they were searching the area. However, the personnel retaliated and the heavy exchange of fire continued for at least two hours. The militant hideout was destroyed in the operation.

According to an FC spokesman, three militants were killed in the gun battle while another was injured and arrested. The militants killed in the operation belonged to the banned Baloch Liberation Army organisation, he added.

He claimed that they were involved in targeted killing of innocent people and landmine attacks on security forces as well as kidnapping for ransom.

Published in Dawn, June 5th, 2018