5 security officials, 1 thief killed in Pakistan bank robbery

Five security officials were killed in an exchange of fire with a group of armed robbers who looted a national bank in Pakistan's restive southwest today.
One robber was also shot dead as security personnel tried to foil the raid at the government-owned National Bank in the troubled Mastung district of Balochistan province.
"They were seven robbers who looted money from the bank and were chased by policemen on duty. In exchange of fire two policemen were killed on the spot," police official Zameer Shah said.
The shooting was followed by an intense exchange of fire between the robbers and security forces in which three personnel were killed.

The Assistant Commissioner and the Deputy Superintendent of Police were injured when they were fired upon by robbers.
"The dead included the police and levies personnel," Shah said and added that two robbers were arrested during the exchange of fire.

Huge contingent of police and security forces were called in the area to bring the situation under control and launch a search operation to apprehend the robbers.
In recent months, separatists and militants have resorted to bank robbery in the province which has been hit by insurgency and sectarian violence for years now.
Provincial capital Quetta and other parts of Balochistan have seen a sharp rise in the number of bank robberies.

Today's incident has come a week after a private bank was robbed in Quetta.