QUETTA: The Balochistan Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) on Wednesday said a total of 14 suspected militants were killed in separate security operations in Quetta and Barkhan districts.

In a statement, the CTD said eight armed men were killed during a security operation in Quetta’s Darakhshan area.

“Eight armed persons were killed in a fire exchange during the operation,” read the statement, adding that three CTD personnel were injured during the action.

According to the CTD, weapons and ammunition were recovered from the killed miscreants. It noted that the dead individuals were said to be from a banned outfit.

In a separate statement, the CTD said “six terrorists were killed in a fire exchange” during an intelligence-based operation in Barkhan.

“All security personnel remained safe,” it stated, adding that arms and ammunition were recovered from the killed militants.

“The terrorists were involved in the planning of disruptive actions,” the CTD said, reaffirming to continue its efforts to eliminate terrorism.

The operations come as the state intensifies its counter-terrorism operations amid a tense security situation in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

On February 5, security forces concluded “Operation Radd-ul-Fitna-1” in Balochistan, killing a total of 216 terrorists in days-long clearance operations, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

The operation was initiated as security forces responded to a spate of attacks across the province on January 31, which brought parts of the restive province to a standstill for several days.

During simultaneous operations, around 180 suspects were arrested and a huge cache of arms and ammunition was seized by Frontier Corps and police, officials said.