QUETTA, Aug 31: At least seven militants were killed and 11 others injured in an encounter with security forces in Mand area, close to the border with Iran, in Kech district on Saturday.

“Seven militants have been killed and 11 others injured in a fierce fight which lasted several hours in Mand area,” a spokesman for Frontier Corps, Balochistan, said.

Sources said that an FC convoy on way to the Iranian border was ambushed by militants in Dokob area of Mand town. The FC men immediately took position and returned fire.

They said heavy exchange of fire continued for four hours in which both sides used rockets against each other. The encounter left seven militants dead and 11 injured. The injured were arrested by security forces.

“Two militant commanders were also injured in the clash,” the FC spokesman said, adding that a search operation was carried out in a vast area of Mand to trace militant hideouts.

Earlier, the FC spokesman had put the death toll at 10. However, he confirmed later that seven militants had died and 11 injured.

Official sources said that the search operation was still continuing. An armed man was killed in the same area when Frontier Corps personnel were attacked by militants. The deceased was identified as Liaquat Ali and the BLF had also confirmed his death.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for the banned Baloch Liberation Front, Gohram Baloch, did not confirm any death in the encounter with security forces.

“No casualty was reported in the clash with FC men,” he told journalists by satellite phone from an unknown place.

However, he claimed that BLF armed men attacked security forces and killed many soldiers.

EXPLOSIVES SEIZED: Meanwhile, the FC spokesman said that FC troops also recovered a huge quantity of explosive material during a raid at a place in Piralizai area of Pishin district on Saturday night.

The cache include five tons of explosive material, two tons of potassium chloride, 200 detonators, 10 bundles of wire, six bundles of Prama-card, 20kg hot explosives, one 47-AK rifle and two motorcycles.

“The FC arrested three suspects,” sources said.