Quetta: Security forces killed twelve terrorists after a convoy linked to the Reko Diq copper and gold project came under attack in Chagai district on Monday, officials said.

The convoy was travelling from the Reko Diq project site towards Quetta when it was intercepted by armed men in the Nokacha area of Chagai.

According to security officials, around three dozen empty vehicles belonging to the project were travelling under security protection when the attackers opened fire on the convoy.

The security personnel accompanying the vehicles returned fire and took positions to protect the convoy. An exchange of fire continued for more than two hours, officials said. Two security personnel were injured during the attack.

Officials initially said 11 attackers were killed at the scene. Weapons and ammunition, including heavy weapons, were also recovered from the militants, according to security sources.

Balochistan Chief Minister (CM) Mir Sarfraz Bugti later confirmed that the death toll among the attackers had risen to 12. The Reko Diq project authorities did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the incident.

The attack comes amid continuing security operations against militant groups in Balochistan, where attacks on security forces, infrastructure and other targets have increased in recent months. CM Bugti said intelligence based operations against militants were continuing across the province.

“There will be no negotiations with those who take up arms against the state and shed the blood of innocent citizens,” he said in a post on X.

He added that those involved in violence and terrorism would be dealt with under the law, saying the government would not compromise on the state’s writ or the protection of people and their property.

Bugti said security forces and law enforcement agencies were working together to maintain peace and stability in Balochistan. He also said action would be taken against militants and their facilitators, while efforts to disrupt peace in the province would be countered.

The Reko Diq mining project, located in Chagai district near Pakistan’s borders with Iran and Afghanistan, is considered one of the country’s major mining developments. Its operations have previously been the subject of security concerns because of the remote location of the project and the wider security situation in Balochistan. Monday’s attack targeted vehicles returning from the project site, rather than the mining facility itself, according to officials.