Pakistani authorities say five militants have been killed in a shoot-out with security forces in the country’s restive southwest area.
The operation in the Mastung area of Balochistan Province targeted militants who were alleged to have been behind a bomb attack on October 14 that left three people dead and six wounded, Pakistan's counterterrorism police said in a statement on October 16.
Four members of the security forces were wounded in the shoot-out, the statement added.
Balochistan -- which is Pakistan's largest and poorest province despite being rich in natural resources -- has been the scene of a low-level insurgency by separatist groups for over two decades.
Islamic militants are also active in the region that borders with Afghanistan and Iran.