QUETTA, Aug 8: Four militants were killed and the commandant of Makran Scouts and another security official injured in a gunbattle between armed men and security forces in the Mand area of Turbat district, close to the border with Iran, on Wednesday.

“Col Rizwan, Commandant, Makran Scouts, and another security official received bullet injuries in the attack,” official sources told Dawn over telephone.

According to the sources, a team of Makran Scout, a wing of the Frontier Corps, headed by Col Rizwan, was busy in conducting survey of losses caused by last month’s floods and cyclone in the Mand area.

When the survey team reached near the hilly areas of Radig, near Mand, unknown armed men opened indiscriminate fire, resulting in injuries to Col Rizwan and the other security official.

Security personnel immediately took positions and returned fire. The heavy exchange of fire continued for one hour, during which three militants were killed and another one was injured. The injured militant later died.