Pakistan says security forces killed five militants in southwestern Balochistan

Security personnel patrol with vehicles on a street in Quetta, Pakistan, on March 25, 2020. (AFP/File)

• Officials say the operation targeted militants in Mastung who were behind a bomb attack that killed three people
• The province has been the scene of a low-level insurgency by Baloch separatist groups for over two decades

QUETTA: Pakistani security forces on Sunday killed in a shootout five militants in the country’s restive southwest area. 
Security officials said the operation targeted militants in the Mastung area of Balochistan province who were alleged to have been behind a bomb attack Friday that left three people dead and six injured. 
The shootout left four members of the security forces injured, Pakistan’s counterterrorism police said in a statement. 
The province has been the scene of a low-level insurgency by Baloch separatist groups for over two decades. Islamic militants also operate in the region that borders with Iran and Afghanistan.