KOHAT At least seven militants were killed and five arrested in operation against Taliban in Ghurzandi area of Lachi, 22 kilometers west of Kohat, on Sunday.
Security forces also recovered four hostages from a house after a fierce clash with the militants. Two militants wounded in the exchange were also arrested, local ISPR in-charge Major Shahid confirmed. One security man was injured in the shoot out with the Taliban.
Mahor Shahid said that the operation was launched on the request of the local administration and all aims and targets were achieved.
The southern parts of the district- Ghurzandi, Hoti Banda and Chashmiangan - were combed by the army. Some Jamiat-i-Ulema Islam-F (JUI-F) and Jaish-i-Mohammad leaders accused of facilitating the Taliban's abductions of Shias and carrying out IED attacks on the Kohat-Hangu highway were also held, sources said.
The Taliban denied the killing or arrest of any of their members during the operation. They said that if the security forces claim to have killed their men they should show their dead bodies to the media.
The security forces detained the former MNA and several leaders of banned Jaish-i-Muhammad in a raid at Qadria seminary. The MNA is the caretaker of the seminary.
The former MNA of JUI-F Mufti Ibrar Sultan was freed after brief detention at a special investigation cell after the provincial leadership gave call for protest. However one Jaish leader, Masroor and local secretary general of the JUI-F Lachi, Ahmed Nawaz were still in the custody of the army.
However, the DCO of Kohat, Siraj Ahmed, said that the reports that the security forces had arrested the MNA were baseless and wrong and in fact he had been detained in the morning to take him into confidence before launching the operation.
He informed that an important meeting of elders from both sides had been summoned on March 3 to discuss the law and order and to ask them to stop taking people hostage on the Kohat Hangu road.
The district secretary general of JUI-F, Jameel Paracha said that provincial amir and senator Maulana Gul Naseeb arrived in Kohat to meet the JUI leaders and discuss the issue of the arrest of their men.
The DCO said that they had released the MNA after a deal that the leaders would take back call for protest and block the Indus Highway.
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