Four suspected militants killed in Lahore shootout

Published June 29, 2015
Pakistani police commandos cordon off the house following the raid. ─ AFP
Pakistani police commandos cordon off the house following the raid. ─ AFP
Two of the wounded are believed to be terrorists. ─ AFP/File
Two of the wounded are believed to be terrorists. ─ AFP/File
Ambulanes line up outside the house targeted by security officials in a raid early Monday morning. ─ AFP/File
Ambulanes line up outside the house targeted by security officials in a raid early Monday morning. ─ AFP/File

LAHORE: The Counter-terrorism Department, Lahore police and intelligence agencies killed four suspected militants in an early-morning raid on a house in Sheikhupura district on Monday, officials said.

Intelligence agencies had earlier alerted security forces to the possibility of militants from Waziristan crossing into Lahore with the intent to carry out attacks on the provincial capital and Raiwind.

Acting on the tip-off, security forces raided on the Ferozewala house situated on Kala Shah Kaku Road.

Three suspected militants were killed in an exchange of fire with security forces, while one suicide bomber blew himself up during the confrontation. Four, including a policeman, were injured. Two of the wounded are believed to be terrorists.

“We had intelligence information about presence of suspected militants in a house and when a police party was sent there, the suspects opened fire at them,” provincial home minister Shuja Khanzada told AFP.

“Three militants were killed and the fourth one blew himself up and two others were wounded and captured,” he added.

“The group belongs to TTP (Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan),” Khanzada said.

Khanzada said police seized three suicide bombing jackets, one rocket launcher, five Kalashnikov rifles, a large cache of bullets and maps of important buildings during the raid.

Local police station officials confirmed the raid and casualties.

The Pakistan Army has killed more than 2,700 militants during Operation Zarb-i-Azb in North Waziristan since June last year, following a deadly attack on Karachi's Jinnah International Airport, destroying more than 800 of their hideouts.

Read more: Conclusive phase of Zarb-i-Azb next month

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