Dozen of Daesh militants killed

quetta — Pakistani forces on Sunday said they had killed around a dozen Daesh terrorists in a three-day raid prompted by intelligence reports that the group were holding two recently kidnapped Chinese nationals.

The operation took place in the rugged Mastung district of southwest Balochistan province and targeted the hideout cave of a group of Daesh commanders, a senior security official said.

“Some 12-13 Daesh commanders have been killed after intense gun-battles and the area was cleared late on Saturday,” he said, but added that the Chinese pair were not recovered from the scene despite the presence of the vehicle used in their kidnapping nearby.

Daesh has been making inroads in the country through alliances

The operation took place in Mastung area. Some 12-13 daesh commanders have been killed after intense gunbattles and the area was cleared late on Saturday A senior security official

with local militant outfits such as the sectarian Lashkare-Jhangvi and Jamaat-ul-Ahrar groups, though its presence is generally downplayed by the government.

Security forces also seized six suicide jackets, a cache of ammunition, explosives, detonators, solar panels and food rations, a second Pakistani security official said, adding the cave was a base used by Daesh to plan attacks across the country. The two Chinese workers were abducted last month in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan, raising safety concerns for Beijing’s multi-billion-dollar investments in the country.

One Chinese woman managed to escape as the men began firing in the air to scare off onlookers.

A passer-by, Mohammed Zahir, was shot as he tried to prevent the abduction.

Mineral-rich Balochistan province has been plagued by militant and sectarian violence since 2004, with hundreds of soldiers and militants killed in the fighting.

But a greater push towards peace and development by Pakistani authorities has reduced overall levels of violence in recent years. —