QUETTA: Frontier Corps claimed to have foiled a major bid of terrorism in Belili area of Quetta – the capital of restive Balochistan province – on Saturday evening.

Commandant Ghaza Band Scouts Colonel Maqbool told Dawn.com that FC has seized 50 mortar shells from a truck during a search operation in Belili area.

He said FC has also detained driver of the truck after the recovery of mortar shells. Maqbool stated that weapons were being brought from Pak-Afghan border for subversive activities inside Quetta.

He said the detained driver was being interrogated by FC personnel. Maqbool informed that the forces also recovered an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) from the truck.

Balochistan suffers from ethnic tensions, sectarian violence between Sunni and Shia Muslims and a separatist insurgency which also targets non-natives.

Small separatist groups in impoverished Balochistan often target Pakistanis from other parts of the country. The separatists want autonomy and a greater share of the money derived from the province’s natural resources like gas and oil.