ISLAMABAD : At least 15 militants and a soldier were killed today in an exchange of fire between terrorists and Pakistani paramilitary forces in the restive southwestern Balochistan province.
The clash happened in Basima area of the troubled Kharan district, where Baloch nationalists have waged a low-key insurgency since 2004.
A Frontier Corps (FC) official said the encounter happened when the paramilitary force personnel were conducting a search operation the area.
“Fifteen militants and one soldier were killed in the gun battle,” he said.
He said a huge quantity of arms and ammunition were seized from the militants.
The death toll could not be verified independently.
The separatist group’s fighting in the mineral-rich province turned deadlier after the murder of Jamhoori Watan Party leader Nawab Akbar Bugti in a military operation in 2006.
At least 17 people were killed and 45 injured in a powerful explosion in a train at Sibi station last April when President Mamnoon Hussain was in Quetta on a two-day visit.
The Baloch nationalists blame the federal government for depriving the province of its resources and often target security forces in the region. (AGENCIES)
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