KHYBER: Two suspected militants were killed during an intelligence-based operation in Khyber district on Friday night.

A statement issued from the office of the district police officer in Shah Kas Jamrud said that the Counter-Terrorism Department and the Khyber police conducted the operation in Ghareeza locality of Jamrud after receiving a tip-off about the presence of a group of militants there under the command of Waleed commander, who is affiliated with the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan.

The statement said that the suspected militants opened fire at the personnel of the law enforcement agencies when they came face to face with each other near Ghareeza area. The exchange of fire resulted in the killing of two unidentified militants. The rest of the militants managed to escape.

It said that the police and CTD officials also recovered arms and ammunition from the spot after the crossfire, which lasted for about 20 minutes.

Officials said that a group of six or seven TTP men under the command of Waleed had sneaked into the area with the intention to target the police and security forces’ checkposts in Hayatabad area of Peshawar and Takhtabeg area of Jamrud.

They said that upon receipt of credible information about the movement the militants in the area, the CTD personnel and police in Jamrud launched a joint operation against them.

They said that the law enforcement personnel seized two Kalashnikovs, five magazines, 75 cartridges of 7.72MM and four hand grenades. The identity of the two killed militants could not be immediately established.

Meanwhile, security forces arrested 174 unregistered Afghan nationals during a search operation in Bacha Maina residential compound near the Torkham border on Saturday.

Published in Dawn, August 18th, 2024