5 Pakistani soldiers killed during strike on terrorists

Five Pakistani soldiers, including a major, have been killed during an operation against terrorists in Balochistan’s Barkhan district, according to the military’s media wing.

At least seven terrorists were also killed in the operation, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a press release late on Wednesday.

Pakistan military and the Balochistan Frontier Corps had carried out the joint clean-up operation in Markham’s Nosham area.

The ISPR said that in the course of the operation, seven militants were engaged and eliminated while five soldiers, including a field officer, were killed.

Weapons, ammunition and explosives were recovered from the slain terrorists.

In the first four months of the year, the security forces have carried out some major clean-up operations in Balochistan.

In March, at least 15 terrorists were killed in Harnai and Basima districts and in February, 10 terrorists were killed during an operation in Zhob.

Balochistan has been facing a low-level insurgency and militants frequently target the security forces and government infrastructure. The Pakistani government accuses the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) of these attacks.