Web Desk: Security forces killed a senior terrorist commander during an intelligence-based operation in the Pal Chhoto area of the Chagai Desert near Dalbandin in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province on Tuesday, according to security sources.
The operation followed reports of terrorist presence in the area. Security forces launched a coordinated assault from three directions, triggering clashes that lasted more than two hours, the sources said.
According to the sources, security personnel pursued the terrorist commander for approximately 45 minutes before engaging him in an intense exchange of fire lasting between 10 and 15 minutes.
The commander was killed during the close-range encounter, and security forces took possession of his body, the sources added.
Several other terrorists were also reportedly wounded during the clashes. However, the sources did not provide details about the number of casualties.
During the operation, security forces discovered and destroyed two suspected terrorist hideouts in the desert, according to the sources.
They said personnel recovered a cache of weapons, ammunition and other equipment from the sites, including an RPG-7 rocket launcher, an M-16 rifle, hand grenades, approximately eight kilograms of explosive material, an improvised explosive device (IED), and a large quantity of ammunition.
Security forces also recovered vehicles, motorcycles and communication equipment from the hideouts.
The operation began at approximately 5 a.m. and continued until 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, the sources said.
The operation underscores continued security concerns in Balochistan, a resource-rich province bordering Afghanistan and Iran that has faced a prolonged insurgency and recurring terrorist violence.
