The destroyed car of Miranshah Deputy Commissioner Noor Wali Khan is seen in Bannu. Security officials carry the coffin of martyr AC. Photos: Express
MIRANSHAH:
Noor Wali Khan, deputy commissioner of Miranshah tehsil of North Waziristan, and three others, including two policemen, were martyred in a brazen attack in Bannu district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) on Tuesday.
According to officials, Noor Wali Khan was traveling with his security team from Miranshah to the Peshawar High Court headquarters, Bannu.
When his convoy arrived near Mamash Khel village in Bannu around 10 am, ambushing terrorists opened heavy fire on their vehicle.
As a result of the attack, Shah Wali Khan, constable Syed Rehman, constable Khairur Rehman and a passerby were martyred, while two other constables were injured.
The terrorists set the vehicle on fire before fleeing.
Shortly after the incident, a large contingent of police and security forces cordoned off the area and transferred the dead and injured to a nearby hospital.
Bannu Deputy Inspector General Sajjad Khan later confirmed that Shah Wali Khan and three others were martyred in the assault. “A joint operation by police and security forces is underway and investigations are being carried out from all angles,” he said.
Later, the funeral prayers of the martyrs were offered with full state honors at Bannu Cantt.
Among the participants were KP Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Zulfiqar Hameed, Regional Police Officer (RPO) Sajjad Khan, Commissioner Bannu Khalid Mahmood, Major General Adil Iftikhar of GOC 7th Division and Brigadier Umair Khan Niazi.
DPO Bannu Yasir Afridi, DPO North Waziristan Sajjad Hussain, Deputy Commissioner Bannu Muhammad Faheem Khan, SP Fazal Wahid of Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) and other civil and military officials also attended the ceremony.
The coffins of the martyrs were saluted and wreaths were laid.
The chief secretary and the IGP paid homage to the martyrs, saying they sacrificed their lives for the nation in the discharge of their official duties. They said the cowardly attacks of terrorists could not weaken morale and the sacrifices of martyrs would never be forgotten.
Later, President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif issued separate statements, expressing deep sadness and grief over the martyrdom of four people in Bannu.
The president strongly condemned the terrorist attack and said that the complete elimination of terrorists “acting in our beloved homeland with external support” could be achieved through national consensus.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the government would thwart the nefarious intentions of terrorists. “The government is determined to completely eradicate terrorism from the country,” he added.
Shah Wali Khan belonged to the Gwah Khwa region of South Waziristan (Lower). According to local sources, Shah, hailing from the Tojay Khel and Zarmal Khel branches of the Wazir tribe, was known in his area as a very polite and respectable individual.
Tribal elders of South Waziristan (Lower) said that with the martyrdom of Shah, the region was forever deprived of a noble son. Tribal elders added that the entire nation shares the grief of the family bereaved by this tragedy.
Seven terrorists killed
Meanwhile, security forces on Monday killed seven terrorists belonging to banned outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in two separate encounters in North Waziristan district.
According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the forces carried out an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Mir Ali.
“During the conduct of the operation, our own troops actually engaged in combat against the khawarij [TTP] place and after an intense exchange of fire, six khawarij were sent to hell,” he said.
Another intelligence-based operation was carried out in Spinwam. In a subsequent exchange of fire, another kharji was effectively neutralized by security forces.
Arms and ammunition were also recovered from the terrorists, who remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities against security forces and law enforcement agencies. They also participated in targeted killings of innocent civilians.
“Disinfection operations are underway to eliminate any further Indian-sponsored kharji found in the region as part of an unrelenting anti-terrorism campaign under the ‘Azm-e-Istehkam’ vision – as approved by the Supreme Federal Committee on National Action Plan.
“Pakistan will continue at full speed to eliminate the menace of foreign sponsored and supported terrorism from the country,” the ISPR added.
