• Commander was ‘shadow governor’ for Peshawar, carrying Rs6m bounty
• Two security personnel, two policemen martyred

PESHAWAR: Four law enforcement officials were martyred and three militants of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), including its shadow governor for Peshawar, were killed in a gun battle on the city’s outskirts on Wednesday, officials said.

The crossfire erupted around 8:15am during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) conducted jointly by the police, Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) and security forces in the Rokhan Khel village of Kandao area in Hassan Khel sub-division, located 40 kilometres south of Peshawar.

“The exchange of fire continued for hours as law enforcement agencies surrounded a few abandoned houses. Rah­eem of the banned TTP and two associates were killed in the joint IBO,” an official said, adding that a combing operation was initiated but postponed after dusk. The search will resume today.

The police superintendent for Sadar division, Zaman Khan, confirmed the incident, stating that two personnel from the security forces and two from the police department, including one from the CTD, embraced martyrdom during the operation. Six other personnel sustained injuries and were shifted to the hospital, where they are in stable condition.

A statement from the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said the joint operation targeted a high-profile terrorist.

The intense exchange of fire resulted in the deaths of three militants, including Commander Abdul Raheem, who was highly wanted by law enforcement agencies with a bounty of Rs6 million on his head. The ISPR said Raheem was involved in numerous terrorist activities, including the martyrdom of Captain Hussain Jehangir and Havildar Shafiq Ullah on May 26 this year.

“Today’s operation has avenged the heinous act and has brought the main perpetrator to justice,” the military said.

The martyred personnel of the Pakistan Army were Sepoy Muhammad Idrees, 34, from Swabi district, and Sepoy Badam Gul, 34, from Kohat district. The martyred police officials were Sub-Inspector Tajmir Shah, 38, from Peshawar district, and Assistant Sub-Inspector Muhammad Akram, 34, from Mansehra district.

The ISPR said that Pakistan’s security forces stood shoulder to shoulder with other law enforcement agencies to ensure peace and stability across the country and such sacrifices of the brave men further strengthened their resolve.

The funerals of martyred police officials were held at Peshawar’s police headquarters and were attended by KP police chief Akhtar Hayat Khan, Com­mandant Frontier Constabulary Moaz­zam Jah Ansari, Inspector General Frontier Corps Noor Wali Khan, CCPO Peshawar Qasim Ali Khan, senior security and police officials, and relatives of the martyred personnel.

The militant commander Raheem, a resident of Amir Khel, Mir Ghat Khel area from Sherkera, surfaced a few years ago and was wanted for attacks against police and security forces in Mattani and Hassan Khel sub-division.

Published in Dawn, July 11th, 2024