Paramilitary troops kill five militants in southwestern Pakistan

At least five terrorists from the outlawed terrorist group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) have been killed in a shootout with Pakistani paramilitary forces in the southwestern province of Balochistan.

According to a spokesman for the paramilitary Frontier Corps, Khan Wasay, the militants were killed after troops stormed a compound in the village of Huramzai in Pashin district, which is located 35 kilometers (21 miles) north of the provincial capital Quetta.

The security forces managed to kill the terrorists during an ensuing exchange of fire, he added.

Provincial home secretary Akbar Harifal confirmed the details of the clash in the volatile region.

The LeJ terrorist group, which has been involved in several attacks on Shia Muslims in recent years, is largely funded by Saudi Arabia.

The terrorist group has claimed responsibility for some of the most brazen attacks on the Shia Muslim community in Pakistan's recent history, including a January 2013 bombing in the southwestern city of Quetta, where over 100 members of the Hazara community were killed.

Human rights groups say the Islamabad government must take decisive actions against forces involved in the targeted killings of Shia Muslims. The Shia Muslim community also accuses Islamabad of failing to provide proper security for the Shia Muslims. Islamabad denies this. 

The notorious LeJ militant group, which works  with both Takfiri Daesh and al-Qaeda terrorists, has also turned its guns on government forces in recent years.

SS