Pakistani Police killed four Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorists during an exchange of fire in the country's southwest Balochistan province.
The exchange of fire took place on Wednedsay when personnel of the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) of the Pakistani police intercepted a group of terrorists on a tip-off in the Aghburg area of Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan, Xinhua reported citing a spokesperson of the CTD.
The terrorists opened fire on the police officials who retaliated, resulting in the death of four terrorists, said the official.
The police said that the terrorists were on their way to the provincial capital to launch a major attack on sensitive installations.
Two other terrorists managed to flee, and security forces have kicked off a search operation in the surrounding areas to arrest them.
TTP, also known as Pakistan Taliban, remains involved in terrorist activities against security forces in the province.
Balochistan is a resource-rich but least developed province of Pakistan where a movement for freedom has been ongoing for the past several decades.
Many Balochs believe that the region was independent before 1947 and was forcibly occupied by Pakistan.
While successive governments have promised to criminalise enforced disappearance, none has taken concrete steps and the practice continues with impunity.
Recently, fighting between the Pakistan security forces and Baloch insurgents have intensified in the region.
In its 2020 Country Reports on Human Rights, the US State Department has highlighted significant human rights issues in Pakistan, including unlawful or arbitrary killings by the government and forced disappearance of Pashtun, Sindhi and Baloch human rights activists.
The report said that there was a lack of government accountability, and abuses often went unpunished, fostering a culture of impunity among perpetrators, whether official or unofficial.
The report also noted that human rights organisations reported that some authorities disappeared or arrested Pashtun, Sindhi and Baloch human rights activists, as well as Sindhi and Baloch nationalists without cause or warrant.
( With inputs from ANI )
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