QUETTA: Two suspected militants affiliated with a banned organisation were killed in an exchange of fire with security forces in Dera Bugti district on Tuesday.

According to official sources, security forces destroyed two hideouts of armed militants allegedly involved in attacks on law enforcement agencies, kidnapping for ransom and targeting gas installations in the area.

Sources claimed that personnel of the Frontier Corps (FC) launched a search operation after receiving intelligence reports about the presence of wanted militants in the district.

“They moved into the Lop and Lezo-Pati area of Dera Bugti where the militants were hiding. The militants launched an attack on the security forces using automatic weapons,” sources said.

The FC men returned fire and the exchange continued for about two hours.

Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2017