QUETTA: Police have reported a clash between armed individuals and Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) officials in Balochistan’s Kech district that resulted in the death of at least four terrorists on Thursday, according to the authorities.
The CTD, in a press release, said that they were alerted to the presence of terrorists near Pasni Road in Kech district.
In the described incident, law enforcement encountered resistance upon arrival at the location, engaging in gunfire with seven to eight terrorists. The terrorists used RPGs and hand grenades during the confrontation. Attempting to flee, they were pursued by the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) team, resulting in the death of four terrorists while others escaped under the cover of night. Subsequently, a cache of weapons, including pistols, grenades, and an IED-fitted motorbike, was recovered. The bodies of the deceased terrorists were taken to Teaching Hospital Turbat for legal procedures, with ongoing investigations by the CTD.
The CTD, along with various law enforcement agencies, remains actively involved in intelligence-based operations in Balochistan and neighbouring regions to combat terrorist elements. Earlier operations in September led to the elimination of five alleged terrorists linked to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in the Aghberg area of Quetta.
Pakistan has experienced heightened terrorist activities in recent months, particularly in KP and Balochistan, following the TTP’s cessation of its ceasefire with the government in November of the prior year. A day before the mentioned incident, a series of blasts in North Waziristan, South Waziristan, and Bajaur resulted in the loss of eight lives, including two security personnel and six civilians, with several others sustaining injuries. Additionally, data from the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) in September highlighted that August saw the highest number of militant attacks in almost nine years.
