Ten militants from the Jamaat-ul Ahrar militant group were killed in a military opperation in Pakistan's Punjab province on Friday night, police said.

Anwarul Haq, the handler of February bombing in Lahore, was among the dead, Dawn online reported.

According to a Counter Terrorism Department spokesman, a team from Lahore was taking five arrested suspects including Haq to Manawan when they were attacked by nine other "terrorists".

The attackers got the arrested suspects freed and fled towards the Ravi river.

The CTD called for more force and chased the suspects.

Later in the night the militants were found and ordered to surrender but they opened fire at the CTD officials. Ten were killed in the operation while others fled.