Pakistan forces ‘kill militants linked to’ police attack

PAKISTANI security forces raided a compound in the country’s troubled southwest and killed four militants linked to an attack on a police academy earlier in the week, officials said today (October 28).

The raid in Quetta, the capital of strife-riven Balochistan province, was carried out late last night (October 27) following an intelligence tip-off about the presence of fighters from the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) militant group.

“A team of anti-terrorist force (ATF) raided the compound and killed four militants after an exchange of gunfire,” a senior local police official Abdullah Afridi said.

Speaking off the record, a police official said the militants belonged to the LeJ - a faction of which claimed it had worked with Daesh (the Islamic State group) to carry out the Monday night (October 24) raid that killed 61 people, the deadliest assault on a security installation in Pakistan’s history.

Daesh had previously also claimed the raid and released photos of the fighters involved, one of whom bore a strong resemblance to a attacker who was killed by security forces in the assault.

The extent of any material support to local groups from Daesh remains unclear, but affiliation with the brutal outfit brings the promise of a far higher profile.

The Balochistan government has also formed a joint investigation team (JIT) comprising officials from the army, police and intelligence agencies to probe Monday’s attack.