Islamabad:
At least 11 militants were killed today in a targeted operation by Pakistani forces in a remote region of southwestern Balochistan province, officials said.
The paramilitary Frontier Corps (FC) conducted operations in the Dera Bugti district where 30 militants were killed in a similar operation on Thursday.
A FC spokesman said that the troops attacked the rebels after confirmed reports that they were hiding in the area.
"Eleven militants were killed in the Gandyari area. They were members of banned Balochistan Republican Army," he said. The Balochistan Republican Army is involved in attacks at the security forces and activities of sabotage like bombings at the railway and blowing up the pipeline and power transmission pylons.
Nationalist Baloch allege that the federal government was depriving the province of their resources, a charge denied by the government.
"The ongoing search operation the paramilitary frontier corps forces had killed at least 11 suspected insurgents belonging to the outlawed Baluchistan Republican Army," Balochistan Home minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti told PTI.
"The operation is being held to flush out these insurgents and militants responsible for the violence in the province," Bugti said.
Bugti also supported the reports by security officials that insurgents and militants were using the borders of Baluchistan with Sindh and Punjab provinces to move and forth to carry out terrorist attacks in the province.
He said the operation was continuing in Gandyari as they were reports of more insurgents and militants being holed up there. He also said a tanker which was carrying fuel for NATO fores in Afghanistan was set ablaze by some militants as they opened fire at the vehicle near the Dera Allahyar area.
Bugti said though Baluchistan was rich with natural resources but the government's efforts to carry out more development work and create employment for the youth were being affected by the militancy and insurgency