QUETTA, June 28: Five people, including two officials of a levies force, were killed in an encounter between outlaws and law-enforcement agencies near the Sond area in Kohlu district, about 350km from here, officials said on Monday.

The officials said that two levies personnel were injured in the gunfire, which lasted several hours in the mountainous area. Both the injured were admitted to the Civil Hospital in Kohlu.

Talking to Dawn, Home Secretary Rauf Khan said the levies force moved into the area after receiving information that outlaws involved in rocket attacks and landmine explosions had established their camp in mountains near Sond and Fijar in tehsil Mawand.

The levies personnel pounded the bases of the outlaws who retaliated by firing rockets and mortar shells at the levies positions. "An operation has been launched against outlaws involved in heinous crimes including rocket attacks and landmine explosions," he added.

The outlaws also blew up the Kahan-Sibi Road at three places by placing high intensity explosives, cutting off road link between the Marri tribe area and other parts of the province. Vehicular traffic between Kahan and Sibi has been suspended after the blasts.

Sources said unidentified armed men fired rockets at the residence of Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani, a Marri tribe leader, in the Sadri area of Kohlu district. However, the attack caused no damage to life or property, official sources told Dawn by telephone from Kohlu.

"I can confirm death of two levies in the rocket attack," Rauf Khan said and added that two other levies personnel received injuries. Director-General of Levies Air Commodore Shaukat Changezi, however, claimed that three outlaws were killed in the counter-attack launched by levies.

He said outlaws hiding in the mountains were involved in rocket attacks and other subversion activities. They were also involved in the last week's attack on the Frontier Corps personnel in the area.

"The operation against outlaws will continue," he said and added that more force had been sent to the area. Commodore Changezi said firing stopped at around 11am. He said that outlaws were trying to escape but the levies had cordoned off the entire area.

No arrest has so far been reported in this connection. Levies men who died in the encounter were identified as Ahmed Khan and Dur Mohammad, while the injured included Samad Khan and Gul Khan.