KARACHI: Twelve terrorists were killed by Pakistani security forces after they attacked a convoy returning from a copper and gold mining site in the restive Balochistan province, officials said on Tuesday.
The incident took place on Monday when the convoy, comprising around three dozen empty vehicles, was returning to Quetta after dropping off workers at the Reko Diq copper and gold mines project site in Chagai, a spokesperson for the Balochistan government said.
The attackers ambushed the convoy and opened heavy fire on the vehicles, he said.
"Timely action by security forces with the convoy led to a heavy exchange of gunfire in which 12 attackers were killed," the spokesperson said.
According to a senior police official, the security personnel accompanying the convoy took positions and retaliated, triggering an exchange of fire that lasted around two hours.
Two security personnel were injured in the gunfight, while a quantity of arms and ammunition was recovered from the slain attackers, he said.
Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti also confirmed the killing of 12 terrorists in a social media post, saying intelligence-based targeted operations against militants were continuing "successfully and consistently" across the province.
There was no immediate information on whether the convoy was carrying any minerals from the Reko Diq mines at the time of the attack.
The Reko Diq project, located in Chagai district near Pakistan's borders with Afghanistan and Iran, is one of the country's largest mining projects and is being developed as a major copper and gold mine.
The project is operated by Canada-based Barrick Mining, in partnership with the Pakistani government and the Balochistan provincial government.
It is strategically important to Pakistan's plans to attract foreign investment and increase mineral exports.
Balochistan, Pakistan's largest and resource-richest province, has for decades been facing an insurgency by militant groups, including the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), which seeks independence for the mineral-rich province.
Insurgents demanding independence for Balochistan have been alleging political marginalisation and exploitation of the province's natural resources by the central government.
The BLA has in recent years stepped up attacks targeting security forces, government installations, and projects linked to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
The Reko Diq project has previously been the subject of security concerns because of its location in the insurgency-hit province.