Paramilitary troops said they launched a military operation on Monday in the Kalat district and killed some 40 rebels. The toll could not be independently verified. The Frontier Corps said in a statement the operation began early Monday in the Farod area of Kalat district. "Around 40 insurgents belonging to the Baloch Republican Army (BRA) and Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) were killed during the operation," it said.
"Six vehicles were also destroyed during the operation and it is still going on." Some local residents told AFP a military helicopter had been shot down, but the Frontier Corps denied the reports. It said the helicopter made an emergency landing on a road in Kalat and the pilot and co-pilot were safe. Reuters quoted Home Minister Balochistan Sarfraz Bugti as saying that the security forces seized a large quantity of weapons during the raids. Ten members of FC were wounded in the fighting, Bugti said. Rebel spokesman were not immediately available for comment.