QUETTA: Security forces foiled an attempt to ambush a convoy of security forces in Balochistan’s Kech district and later killed eight militants in a follow-up operation, the military’s media wing said on Thursday.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the militants attempted to ambush a convoy of security forces on Wednesday evening, but the “alert and combat-ready troops foiled the cowardly attempt without any loss of life”.

The security forces later conducted a follow-up operation to hunt down the assailants using “ground and aviation assets”, the ISPR said. On Thursday morning, “a suspected hideout of terrorists was identified in Mazaaband Range where a sanitisation operation was launched”, it added.

As a result, eight militants were killed in a “heavy exchange of fire”, and a large cache of arms and ammunition, including explosives, was recovered.

Two FC officials martyred in Chaman drive-by shooting

“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 security forces handed the bodies to levies officials, who shifted the bodies to the Teaching Hospital Turbat.

Separately, two Frontier Corps (FC) officials were martyred on Thursday in a drive-by shooting in Chaman, a town along the border with Afghanistan.

The police said the two FC men were in civilian dress when they were targeted while on their way to the Roghani area. When they reached the main chowk of Roghani Road, unidentified shooters on motorcycles opened fire on them and fled.

The FC officials, critically wounded in the shooting, died on their way to the hospital.

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

On Feb 10, two Pakistan Army soldiers were martyred after an improvised explosive device exploded in Balochistan’s Kohlu area.

Behram Baloch in Gwadar also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, February 24th, 2023