At least two suspected militants of a banned outfit were killed and 35 others arrested following an exchange of fire with the Frontier Corps and police personnel during a search operation in Sariab and adjoining areas on Sunday.
The law enforcement agencies (LEAs) were conducting raids in various parts of the city following Saturday’s bloody suicide attack. Four security personnel and a 13-year-old girl were among those who lost their lives in the attack targeting an FC convoy.
According to Frontier Corps Spokesman Khan Wasey, two Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan members were killed during an encounter with security forces and 35 others were taken into custody during raids in Sariab and surrounding areas.
The raids come as the death toll from Saturday’s TTP-claimed suicide bombing targeting FC personnel rose to 11 after a person injured in the attack died while undergoing treatment. Some 35 people, including 15 FC personnel, were injured in the attack.
Wasey said an operation had been launched against miscreants belonging to a banned outfit.
He said the arrested suspects would be interrogated by security personnel with regards to their alleged links to outlawed militant groups, adding that “the innocent would be freed after interrogation”.
“Such cowardly incidents will not stop us from acting against terrorists,” Inspector General FC Major General Sher Afgun said, referring to the suicide attack in the vicinity of the Quetta district courts.
The spokesperson further said that weapons, including two hand grenades, two short machine guns (SMGs), one Makarov pistol, one shotgun, seven TT pistols, one 9mm pistol, two 30 bore pistols and several rounds were also seized from the suspects.
Meanwhile, local police foiled a terror bid in Dera Murad Jamali as they recovered a bomb planted by roadside on Sunday. The bomb was later defused by officials of the Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS).
Police said that dwellers of Kaley Sehr Road of Dera Bugti had spotted a suspected water cooler in which a bomb was concealed.
