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RAWALPINDI:
Security forces killed 10 more terrorists in an intelligence-based operation in Balochistan’s Zhob district, the army’s media wing said on Thursday.
According to a statement issued by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), following an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Zhob on February 24, in which eight Indian-sponsored terrorists were killed, security forces carried out a comprehensive clearance operation on Wednesday to hunt down “hidden khwarij” belonging to Indian representative Fitna al Khwarij.
Fitna al Khwarij is a term that the State has designated to refer to the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan.
“During the operation, our own forces located Khwarij on multiple routes and effectively targeted their locations. After an exchange of fire, ten Indian-sponsored Khwarij were sent to hell,” the statement said.
He added that weapons, ammunition and explosives were also recovered from the terrorists, who were actively involved in numerous terrorist activities in the area.
“Remediation operations are being carried out to eliminate any other Indian-sponsored terrorists found in the area,” he said.
“The relentless campaign against terrorism under the ‘Azm e Istehkam’ vision (approved by the Federal Apex Committee on National Action Plan) by the Security Forces and Law Enforcement Agencies of Pakistan will continue at full pace to eliminate the menace of foreign sponsored and supported terrorism from the country,” the press release said.
Three brothers kidnapped in Bannu
A tragic incident during taraweeh prayers on Thursday plunged Hassan Khel Sokri Faqir Khel of Bannu tehsil into mourning after three brothers were kidnapped from a mosque last night.
Two of them, both police officers, were later found murdered, while the third brother remains missing.
According to eyewitnesses, between 10 and 12 armed men dressed in a specific uniform broke into the mosque during taraweeh prayers and created a hostage situation for worshipers.
The attackers carried out the operation in an organized manner and forcibly took away the three brothers before fleeing to an unknown location.
The kidnapped individuals were identified as Saeed Akhtar, an employee of the commissioner’s office, and his brothers Amjad and Hazratullah, both posted in the Wazir sub-division police.
Police officials confirmed that the bodies of the two serving police officers were later recovered on the roadside along Marwat Canal Road. They were brutally killed and their bodies were dumped on the spot.
In Tank, Naik Nadeem was martyred when terrorists attacked a security forces check post in Tank district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa on Wednesday night, the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), KP – Dera Ismail Khan Region, said in an official statement.
According to the CTD, the attack took place at approximately 1:30 a.m. in Kiri Haider village, within the limits of the SMA police station. The terrorists described as “Fitna-Al-Khawarij” used a quadcopter to launch two explosive rounds on the checkpoint.
Almost 20 dead
Nearly 20 police officers and civilians have been killed in a wave of terror attacks in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa over the past two days, a police official said on Thursday.
“In the last 48 hours, 15 police officers and four civilians have been killed in terrorist attacks in several areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” a senior police official told AFP.
bomb explosion
A powerful explosion targeted a police vehicle near Al-Harmain Hotel on Quetta-Karachi National Highway in Surab, leading to the martyrdom of a police officer.
The officer has been identified as Khalil Ahmed, a resident of Surab, who died on the spot.
According to eyewitnesses, the powerful explosion was heard throughout the area. The explosion shattered the windows of nearby shops and buildings and spread panic throughout the area.
Initial reports suggested that explosive material had been placed under a bridge or under the road, which detonated when the vehicle passed over it. The armored vehicle was severely damaged and nearby buildings and businesses also suffered partial damage.
(With additional contributions from Office reports)
