Doha: The Pakistani army announced Thursday the killing of three militants and an army officer during a military operation in the southwest of the country. The army said in a statement that its forces carried out the operation based on intelligence information after monitoring the movements of militants in the Awaran district of Balochistan province in the southwest of the country.

According to Qatar News Agency, the army indicated that the clash with the militants resulted in the deaths of the three militants and an army officer. Pakistan has witnessed an escalation in armed attacks in recent months, the most recent of which was yesterday (Wednesday), when at least three people were killed and seven others were wounded in an armed attack on a passenger bus in Balochistan province.

Meanwhile, Pakistani forces have continued their efforts for years to eliminate armed groups entrenched in mountainous areas and launching occasional attacks against security personnel and civilians.