.
RAWALPINDI:
Security forces killed 10 more terrorists during an intelligence operation in Zhob district of Balochistan, the army’s media wing said on Thursday.
According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), after an intelligence operation (IBO) in Zhob on February 24, in which eight Indian-sponsored terrorists were killed, security forces on Wednesday carried out a massive sanitization operation to hunt down ‘hidden khwarij’ belonging to Indian proxy Fitna al Khwarij.
Fitna al Khwarij is a term the state has designated for the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan.
“During the operation, our own forces hunted down the Khwarij on several routes and effectively engaged their positions. After an ensuing exchange of fire, ten Indian-sponsored khwarij were sent to hell,” the statement said.
He added that arms, ammunition and explosives were also recovered from the terrorists, who were actively involved in many terrorist activities in the region.
“Disinfection operations are underway to eliminate any other Indian-sponsored terrorists found in the region,” he said.
The relentless anti-terrorism campaign carried out under the vision of ‘Azm e Istehkam’ (as approved by the Supreme Federal Committee on National Action Plan) by the security and law enforcement agencies of Pakistan will continue in full swing 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 left Hassan Khel Sokri Faqir Khel of Bannu tehsil in mourning after three brothers were kidnapped from a mosque late last night.
Two of them, both active police officers, were found murdered, while the third brother is still missing.
According to eyewitnesses, 10 to 12 armed men dressed in a specific uniform stormed the mosque during Taraweeh prayers and created a hostage-like situation for worshipers.
The attackers carried out the operation in an organized manner, forcibly taking the three brothers with them before fleeing to an unknown destination.
The abducted persons were identified as Saeed Akhtar, an employee in the commissioner’s office, and his brothers Amjad and Hazratullah, both posted with the Wazir sub-division police force.
Police officials confirmed that the bodies of the two serving police officers were later found on the roadside along the Marwat Canal Road. They were brutally killed and their bodies were dumped on the spot.
In Tank, Naik Nadeem was martyred when terrorists targeted a security force check post in Tank district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa on Wednesday evening, the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of KP – Dera Ismail Khan region said in an official statement.
According to the CTD, the attack took place around 1:30 am in Kiri Haider village within the limits of SMA police station. The terrorists described as “Fitna-Al-Khawarij” used a quadcopter to drop two explosive shells on the checkpoint.
Nearly 20 killed
Nearly 20 policemen and civilians were killed in a spate of terror attacks in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa over the past two days, a police official said on Thursday.
“In the last 48 hours, 15 policemen and four civilians were killed in terrorist incidents in various parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” a senior police official told AFP.
Bomb explosion
A powerful blast targeted a police vehicle near Al-Harmain Hotel on the Quetta-Karachi National Highway in Surab, resulting in the martyrdom of a police officer.
The policeman was identified as Khalil Ahmed, a resident of Surab, who died on the spot.
According to eyewitnesses, the powerful explosion was heard everywhere. The explosion shattered the windows of neighboring stores and buildings and caused panic throughout the area.
Initial information suggested that explosive materials had been placed under a bridge or under the road, and that they exploded as the vehicle passed. The armored vehicle was seriously damaged, and nearby buildings and stores were also partially damaged.
(With additional input from Office Reports)
