QUETTA: At least nine suspected militants were killed and four security personnel injured in a gun battle between security forces and members of banned militant organisations during an operation in Qabo-Koh-i-Mehran area of Mastung district, 65km off here, on Thursday.

Official sources said that the Counter-Terrorism Department ofpolice force along with other law enforcement agencies cordoned off the Qabo-Koh-i-Mehran after receiving information about the presence of a hideout of militants in the mountainous area.

The sources said that the militants opened fire on the security forces when they penetrated the area. The security forces took position and retaliated. A heavy exchange ofbrecondnuedforseveral hours and culminated in the death of nine suspected terrorists and injuries to four personnel of security forces.

A security official said that the terrorists, who died on the spot, belonged to different bannedorganisations that were involved in terror attacks in Quetta and other areas of Balochistan.

The Islamic State militant group was using the hideout along with other terrorist outfits,` security sources said.

`A heavy cache of arms and ammunition, including a huge quantity of explosive, rockets, grenades, rocket launchers and suicide jackets, was recovered from the hideout of the militants, the sources said.

The injured security personnel were taken to a military hospital and the bodies of the militants were shifted to the Civil Hospital in Quetta for identification.

Meanwhile, Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan Alyani expressed satisfaction at the successful operation and praised the CTD and other security forces for eliminating the terrorists. `Despite sacrificing their lives, the morale of the security forces is high, they are standing against terrorists like rocks and have proved that they cannot be defeated,` the CM said in a statement.

Terming terrorism a cancer for society, he said that entire nation stood with security forces in their fight against terrorism.

Mr Alyani said that anyone who was involved in the killing of innocent people would be chased and ultimately brought to justice. `There is no room for terrorism in Balochistan,` he said, adding that terrorists would not succeed in finding a safe haven anywhere in the province.