QUETTA: The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), Quetta on Monday, conducted an operation during which a suspect Hasham alias Imran, who was in custody for the abduction and murder of a 14-year-old Musawir Kakar, was taken to identify a suspected hideout on the outskirts of Dasht area in Mastung district, a spokesman for the CTD said.

The suspect was also linked to an operational Daesh cell involved in fundraising and terror facilitation.

During the identification of the hideout, armed accomplices present inside “opened heavy fire on the CTD team”.

As CTD officials returned fire, a shootout ensued, during which the suspect in custody was killed by his fellows’ firing, the spokesperson said.

“Two armed terrorists were also killed,” the spokesman said, adding a cache of weapons, explosives, communication devices was also recovered. He confirmed that all three killed suspects were linked to Daesh and were planning terror attacks.

Published in Dawn, July 22nd, 2025