Pakistani police kill 9 suspected militants in raid

QUETTA, Pakistan – Pakistani police say security forces acting on intelligence raided a militant hideout in the town of Mastung in southwestern Baluchistan province, triggering a shootout that killed nine suspects.

In a statement, police said four officers were also wounded in Thursday’s shootout.

The statement provided no further details, but the raid comes days after a bomb attached to a motorcycle killed four police guarding a mosque in Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan province.

The Pakistani Taliban quickly claimed responsibility at the time.

Baluchistan province has been the scene of a low-level insurgency by separatists demanding more autonomy and a greater share in the region’s natural resources such as gas and oil. The province has also witnessed attacks claimed by Sunni Muslim militants.