A soldier was martyred and six terrorists, who were linked to the blast in Lahore's Anarkali area on January 20, were killed during an exchange of fire in the general area of Nagao Mountains in Balochistan's Sibi, the military's media affairs wing said on Saturday.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), security forces had launched an operation to apprehend terrorists in Nagao Mountains after receiving information about their presence in the area.

"Once the troops started [a] clearance operation in the area, [the] terrorists tried to escape from their hideout and opened fire on security forces," the ISPR said in a statement.

Six Balochistan Nationalist Army terrorists, including Naseebullah Bangalzai alias Jahangir, Pir Jan and Rakai Kalhoi, were killed in the ensuing exchange of fire, the ISPR said, adding they were involved in recent "security incidents" in Sibbi and linked to the blast in Lahore's Anarkali area on January 20.

Three people were killed and over 30 injured in the Anarkali blast, which law enforcement agencies had initially declared a gas cylinder explosion. But later investigations had confirmed that it was a bomb blast

During the operation in Turbat, "a valiant son of the soil, Sepoy Nisar embraced shahadat (martyrdom) while another two soldiers got injured", the ISPR said.

According to the ISPR, arms and ammunition were seized from the terrorists that they intended to use for "disrupting peace and security in the area".

"Security forces, in step with the nation, remain determined to thwart attempts at sabotaging peace, stability and progress of Balochistan," the ISPR said.

Earlier this month, security forces had killed seven terrorists in Turbat's Gorchop area in Balochistan during an intelligence-based operation.

The terrorists were killed after the troops had launched an operation to apprehend "externally sponsored enemies of peace in Balochistan" on the basis of information about the terrorists' hideout.

"Once the troops started [the] clearance operation in the area, terrorists tried to escape from their camp and opened indiscriminate fire onto security forces," the ISPR had said at the time.

The military's media affairs wing had added that the killed terrorists were involved in firing and attacks on security forces in Makran Division.