QUETTA: Four suspected terrorists of the banned Jamaatul Ahrar were killed in a gun battle with a team of Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of police in Hazar-Ganji area of the provincial capital on Tuesday.

The CTD personnel intercepted a truck, on a tip-off about drugs being smuggled to Karachi, at Gulzarabad checkpoint on the outskirts of Quetta, a CTD spokesperson said.

Instead of stopping, the men travelling in the truck opened fire on the CTD personnel, triggering an exchange of fire that continued for half an hour, leaving four terrorists dead.

Upon searching the truck, 27 kilograms of fine quality heroin was recovered from secret compartments meant to hide drugs for smuggling.

“The four terrorists killed in the gunfight belong to banned Jamaatul Ahrar,” the spokesman said, adding that further investigation was in progress.

It was the second operation of the Balochistan Counter Terrorism Department against drug smugglers in the provincial capital. Two weeks ago, police and CTD personnel had conducted a joint operation in the city nullah, killing eight drug smugglers.

CTD officials said that drug money was being used by terrorist outfits.

Published in Dawn, September 28th, 2022