QUETTA: Three suspected militants, including a ‘commander’ of a banned organisation, were shot dead on Friday during an operation carried out by security forces in Kalat district.

Security officials said that intelligence agencies, along with security forces, had launched an operation in the Dashat-i-Gorran area, some 50km off Kalat town, after receiving information about the presence of militants there.

The armed men opened fire on the security forces after which a heavy exchange of fire continued for several hours, killing three armed militants.

“An important commander of the banned Baloch Liberation Army, Shams Qalandrni, is also killed in the gun battle,” security officials said. They identified the other deceased militants as Zafar Ali and Shoaib.

Published in Dawn, May 18th, 2019