The military’s media affairs wing said on Thursday that it had foiled an attempt to ambush a convoy of security forces in Balochistan’s Kech district, adding that eight militants were killed in the follow-up operation.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), terrorists attempted to ambush a convoy of security forces on February 22 in the evening. The statement said “alert and combat ready troops foiled the cowardly attempt without any loss of life” and also commenced a follow-up operation to hunt down the terrorists using “ground and aviation assets”.

“Resultantly, on the morning of Feb 23 (today), a suspected hideout of terrorists was identified in Mazaaband Range where a sanitisation operation was launched,” the ISPR said.

The statement said that eight terrorists were killed in a “heavy exchange of fire” while a large cache of arms and ammunition, including explosives, was also recovered.

“Security forces of Pakistan will continue to thwart any attempt by inimical elements, on [the] behest of hostile intelligence agencies, to disrupt hard-earned peace in the province,” the ISPR said.

The development comes amid a surge in terrorist activities in the country, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces, since the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) ended its ceasefire with the government in November.

On February 10, two Pakistan Army soldiers were martyred after an improvised explosive device (IED) exploded in Balochsitan’s Kohlu area.