KARACHI: A spokesperson for the counterterrorism department has said 11 militants were killed and a large cache of arms and explosives were seized when officials busted a suspected Daesh camp in Pakistan’s southwestern Mastung district.
Balochistan, the largest province of Pakistan in terms of land area, has long been marred by violent attacks carried out by Baloch separatists and militant groups, including Daesh. In January, Daesh claimed responsibility for the kidnapping and execution of 11 coal miners who were members of the ethnic Hazara minority community. It was one of many such attacks in Balochistan, the focus of the $60-billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor, a transport and energy link planned between western China and Pakistan’s southern deepwater port of Gwadar.
Monday’s operation comes days after a suicide bombing carried out by Daesh outside the Kabul airport left over a hundred people dead.
“Today, 30th August 2021, an IBO [intelligence based operation] was conducted on the pointation of Daesh Terrorist Abdul Haye who was ring leader of group involved in Mastung Police Mobile Attack in May 2021,” CTD Balochistan said in a statement, referring to an attack in which two policemen were killed. “Deep investigation has led to unearthing of this camp of Daesh. Camp was going to be used as epicenter and launching pad of Daesh in near future.”
The CTD said it surrounded the Daesh camp and asked the militants to surrender but they launched indiscriminate firing and lobbed grenades at the raiding team.
“A shootout ensued,” the CTD said. “When firing stopped, 11 terrorists were found dead. Efforts are being made to identify the remaining terrorists.”
Pistols, suicide jackets, hand grenades and detonators were among the arms and explosives recovered from the camp.
“An investigation has been launched to arrest remaining members of the network,” the CTD said. “More raids are planned for other areas of Balochistan.”
Pakistani police often refer to any armed clash with suspects as an “encounter” or “shootout.” Some human rights activists and families of victims have for years alleged that such incidents are staged to cover up extrajudicial killings. Authorities deny the charge.
