Pakistan: Police kill 5 suspected separatists in southwest

QUETTA, Pakistan – Pakistani security forces, acting on intelligence, raided a suspected hideout of a separatist group in southwestern Baluchistan province on Monday, triggering a shootout that killed five insurgents, the province’s counter-terrorism department said.

In a statement, it said police also seized a cache of weapons in the raid in the district of Mastung. The slain men were members of the Baluch Liberation, a separatist group that often targets police and troops in Baluchistan, according to the police.

The raid came hours after insurgents killed a sailor and wounded two others in an attack on a Pakistani Navy vehicle in Baluchistan. The Baluchistan Liberation Army claimed responsibility for the attack.

The province has been the scene of frequent militant attacks and a long-running insurgency by separatist groups that seek independence for the mineral and gas-rich province that borders Iran and Afghanistan, and a greater share in the province’s resources.

The Pakistani Taliban also have a presence there.