QUETTA: Security forces killed at least six alleged terrorists of the banned BLA in Harnai district during a joint operation, conducted on the secret information about the presence of armed militants, officials said on Wednesday.

They were involved in attacks on securityforces andinnocent people, the officials added.

During the operation, sources said, the BLA hideouts in Harnai were targeted, eliminating Shafu Samalani alias Tadin, Sarmad alias Dasteen, Mohammad Gul Mari alias Wahid Baloch, Ghulam Qadir Mari alias Anjir Baloch, Ubaid Baloch alias Fida, and Taj Mohammad alias Babul.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi paid tribute to the security forces for conducting the successful intelligence-based joint operation on Sept 12 in the northeast district ofBalochistan. He said the forces foiled the nefarious intentions of the terrorists and `brought the terrorists to a terrible end by taking timely action. [We] salute the bravery of the security forces`.

Reiterating the government`s resolve to eliminate terrorism from the motherland, the interior minister said the nation was proud of the professional skills of `our brave security forces`.

Cop, fugitive killed in Khuzdar In Khuzdar district, a notorious dacoit was killed and his accomplice injured in an exchange of gunfire between police and armed bandits near Bakra Mandi, in the Jhalawan Complex area of New Adda.

A police officer, Jaleel Ahmed Sheikh, embraced martyrdom in the gunfight.

Abdul Qayyum Sanari, the slain dacoit, was a fugitive from Kalat Jail, where he had been detained for involvement in cases of armed robbery and sev-eral other criminal activities.

The incident occurred early morning when police confronted a group of dacoits near the Bakra Mandi. During the intense exchange of fire, police officer Jaleel Ahmed Sheikh was martyred, while one of the dacoits was killed and another wounded. The slain dacoit was later identified as Sanari while his accomplice as Nazir Ahmed Nathwani.

Attack on prisoners` van In Dera Murad Jamali, a prisoners` van came under attack as soon as it left the main gate of district jail for a local court, on Wednesday.

Police described the shooing as a result of old enmity, which claimed the lives of an undertrail prisoner and a police official. In an ensuing exchange of fire, one of the shooters was killed and his accomplice was injured. He was arrested soon afterwards, officials said, adding that two police personneland another prisoner also sustained injuries during the shootout.

SSP Nasirabad Fahad Khan Khosa told Dawn the armed men opened fire at the van when it come out of the prison`s main gate, resulting in the killing of one prisoner on the spot.

Subsequently, the police squad along the prisoner van immediately returned fire and killed one ofthe shooters.

Soon after the incident, police shifted the body and the injured including head constable Habibullah Sasoli and two other personnel Barkat Ali and Abdul Khalig to district hospital. The injured head constable later died during treatment at the hospital, SSP Khosa said.

While the prisoner who died in the attack was identified as Nazar Muhammad Hajwani Jamali, the identity of the injured could not be confirmed.

A senior officer said the attack was result of an old enmity.

He said that one of the attack-ers, who was injured in the exchange of fire with police, was arrested and hospitalised.

Efforts were underway for the arrest of others involved in the attack.

Motorbike snatchers kill two men In Quetta, motorbike snatchers killed two men in the Spiny Road area upon facing resistance, officials said.

Police denied social media reports that it was a sectarian killing and said that the armed men wanted to snatch motorcycle.

The deceased were later identified as Shamsullah and Nusratullah.

After collecting evidence at the crime scene, police launched a search for the attackers. No arrest was reported till late Wednesday evening.

Abdul Wahid Shahwani inKhuzdar and Ali Jan Mangi in Dera Murad Jamali also contributed to this report