Senior BLA commander among eight killed in Sibi operation

QUETTA: Banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) commander Aslam Achou alias Merick Baloch was among the eight militants killed in an exchange of fire with security forces in the Sangan area of Sibi district.

Two personnel of the security forces also embraced martyrdom during the gunbattle.Addressing a news conference at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat here on Wednesday night, a spokesman for the Balochistan government, Anwar-ul-Haque Kakar, confirmed the killing of militants, including the Baloch Liberation Army commander.

“The exchange of fire between security forces and the militants continued for several hours which resulted in the killing of eight militants, including their commander,” he said.He said the BLA commander Aslam Achou alias Merick Baloch was an Afghan Tajik. Security forces had taken his body into custody.

He said Aslam Achou also worked as a spokesman of the banned militant organisation. He was involved in the killing of several civilians and security personnel, kidnappings for ransom and extortion. “Two personnel of the Frontier Corps Balochistan also embraced martyrdom,” he said.