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Updated 21 Dec, 2015 06:08pm

Security forces foil major terror bid in Balochistan

QUETTA: Security forces on Monday foiled a major terror bid in the province and seized a vehicle transporting weaponry in Balochistan's Dalbandin area.

One suspected militant was also killed during an exchange of fire with security forces.

"An intelligence agency and Frontier Corps (FC) seized a weapons-laden vehicle in the Yek Much area of Dalbandin," said a security official requesting anonymity.

According to the official, the militants inside the vehicle opened fire on the forces, when they were signalled to stop.

The security forces retaliated and killed one of the militants while seizing a sizeable cache of arms and ammunition, added the security official.

"Weapons were being smuggled from neighbouring Afghanistan with the help of Indian intelligence agencies into Balochistan to carry out subversive activities," stated the security official.

The seized weapons included one rocket launcher, 10 RPGs rounds, 30 hand-grenades, 20 fuses, explosives and other weapons used during the skirmish with security forces.

The official added that a search operation is also underway in the area to apprehend the remaining militants.

In a separate incident, two security personnel were injured in a landmine blast in Quetta's Marget area. The spokesman for the FC said the personnel were on routine patrolling when their vehicle hit a landmine.

Two FC personnel injured in the blast were identified as Mir Zaman and Zakir. They were rushed to Combined Military Hospital (CMH) for treatment.

Balochistan has been experiencing incident violence and targeted killings for more than a decade. The largest province of the country by area, is home to a low-level insurgency by ethnic Baloch separatists. Al Qaeda-linked militants also operate in the region.

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