QUETTA: Police claimed to have killed three suspected militants in a gun battle here late on Thursday night.

A police party patrolling in the Essa Nagri area on the outskirts of the city stopped three suspects riding a motorcycle for checking.

However, police said, the motorcyclists opened fire and tried to escape. The police returned fire and a shootout continued for about an hour in which the three suspects were killed.

A police officer told Dawn that the personnel seized AK-47 rifles, ammunition and explosives from the suspects.

He said after the gun battle the police conducted a search operation in the area and took 20 suspects into custody.

Published in Dawn, July 14th, 2017