QUETTA: An alleged ‘commander’ of a banned organisation was shot dead in Mastung district of Balochistan on Monday.

The suspect was said to be involved in the murder of Nawabzada Siraj Raisani, a leader of the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), in a suicide attack and other terrorist activities.

A spokesman for the Counter Terrorism Department said that the CTD and other law enforcement agencies conducted a joint operation in the Paringabad area of Mastung district. He said when the personnel of CTD and other law enforcement agencies cordoned off the commander’s hideout his accomplices started firing. The security forces returned fire and in the subsequent exchange of fire the banned outfit’s commander died on the spot.

“The commander of the banned outfit was involved in a suicide attack on an election rally of Nawabzada Siraj Raisani and several other terrorist activities,” the CTD spokesman said.

He claimed that a huge quantity of arms and ammunition, including explosive material, was recovered from the hideout.

The CTD spokesman identified the deceased as Mohammad Nawaz alias Sindhi and said he was the commander of the militant Islamic State Iraq & Syria group.

Published in Dawn, September 1st, 2020