PESHAWAR: Three militants were shot dead and six others arrested during operations by security forces and Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) of police on Wednesday, officials said.

An intense exchange of fire took place between security forces and militants during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in the Loesum area of Bajaur, where, according to local officials, three militants were gunned down.

A statement later issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the mi­­litary’s media wing, confirmed the developments. “During conduct of the operation, an exchange of fire took place bet­w­een security forces and the militants. Three militants were killed,” the statem­ent read, adding that weapons and am­­munition were also recovered from them.

It stated that the militants were actively involved in activities against security forces as well as extortion and targeted killing of innocent citizens.

Militants were actively involved in activities against security forces, targeted killing of citizens, says ISPR

Locals appreciated the operation and expressed their full support to security forces, determined to eliminate menace of terrorism from the area, it read.

Militants held

In another operation, CTD personnel arrested six militants involved in an attack on a police checkpoint in the Jamrud area of Khyber.

Officials said that two police constables and a private citizen had embraced martyrdom on January 18 when the police post came under attack.

Armed with hand grenades and sub-machine guns, the militants had attacked the police post while a suicide bomber was killed in an exchange of fire.

“The prime accused in the attack on the police post was gunned down in an IBO carried out in Jamrud area

on January 23 and the department recovered sensitive documents from

his possession,” said a senior CTD official. Later on March 7, he said, four more suspects were arrested during a CTD raid.

The official, who requested anonymity since he was not entitled to speak to the media, disclosed that a CTD team raided another location on March 20 and arrested three suspects while “two more suspects, who are still at large, are being traced”.

Bannu operation

On the other hand, three militants were killed in Bannu operation, according to an ISPR statement issued on Tuesday.

The midnight operation was conducted in the Nurar locality where the militants were neutralised in exchange of fire, the statement added.

The outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan claimed the militants were its members.

The ISPR stated that the deceased terrorists were actively involved in attacks on security forces and killing of citizens.

Published in Dawn, April 13th, 2023