Pakistani security forces on Sunday were killed in a shootout of five militants in the country's restive southwest area.
Security officials said the operation targeted militants in the Mastung area of Baluchistan province who were alleged to have been behind a bomb attack Friday that left three people dead and six injured.
The shootout left four members of the security forces injured, Pakistan's counterterrorism police said in a statement.
The province has been the scene of a low-level insurgency by Baluch separatist groups for over two decades. Islamic militants also operate in the region that borders Iran and Afghanistan.
