LAKKI MARWAT: Four people, including a tribal chief and a woman, were killed and as many were injured when unknown armed men opened fire on a double-cabin vehicle in Bannu district on Tuesday.

Police said that the shooting incident occurred in remote Shah Mohammad Kallay Narmikhel area in the limits of Janikhel police station. They said that over a dozen armed men opened fire on the vehicle with men, women and children on board.

“The attack resulted in the instant killing of a tribal elder, Malik Shodikhel, Ajab Khan, Ajmal Khan and Syeddana Bibi (50),” they said.

Police identified the injured as Baitullah, 50, his daughter-in-law Musadiqa Bibi, 28, son Salim Ahmad, 6, and a grandson Mohammad Yaseen, 7.

Injured Baitullah reported to the police that he along with his family members and relatives left the village for Bannu city. “When we reached near Narmikhel, at least 15 to 16 armed militants appeared on the scene and sprayed the vehicle with bullets,” he claimed.

The complainant said as a result, his wife Syeddana Bibi and three relatives, including Malik Shodikhel, Ajab Khan and Ajmal Khan, received critical bullet injuries and died on the spot. “The vehicle was also damaged in the attack,” he said.

The complainant said that the attackers fled the place while bodies and injured were shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital. He linked the incident with a recent wave of terrorism in the area and said that his family had no enmity with anyone.

The police registered a case against unknown assailants under relevant sections of Pakistan Penal Code and Anti-Terrorism Act and began investigation.

Policemen released

Seven policemen, who had been kidnapped from Rocha checkpost in Bannu district a day earlier were safely recovered from their captors on Tuesday.

District police officer Ziauddin Ahmed told Dawn that all kidnapped police officials returned safely with the efforts of local police authorities and area elders.

Following the incident on Monday, a large contingent of law enforcement personnel was in the area located in the Wazir subdivision bordering North Waziristan district to launch an operation for the safe release of kidnapped officials,” claimed an official.

He said that the police were put on alert for a major offensive against the armed men involved in kidnapping of the policemen.

He said that local police authorities also engaged elders to get the abducted cops freed from their captors safely.

The official said that joint efforts by police authorities and elders paved the way for the safe release of kidnapped policemen.

Published in Dawn, November 20th, 2024