Forces kill five militants in Shabqadar, Mohmand
CHARSADDA/GHALANAI, Oct 13: Five militants were killed in clashes with security forces in Shabqadar and Mohmand agency on Thursday.
In the wee hours of the day shortly after the attack on Saro Kalli police station, security forces along with Charsadda police imposed curfew in Matta Mukhalkhel, Pir Qilla and Mitchini Pul areas of Shabqadar and carried out a joint search operation.They raided a house in Bhai Korona where the hiding militants opened fire at them. The security forces returned fire wounding two militants, Naeem and Kashif, who were taken into custody before being moved to the hospital, where they breathed their last shortly thereafter.
Security forces later raided the house of an Afghan militant, Hamza, in Grangi area and killed him in exchange of fire.
They also besieged MPA Muhammad Ali's house and adjoining hujra, conducted a search of the premises and arrested six men wanted by law-enforcement agencies for criminal activities.
The arrested men included Zakir, Amin, Riaz, Imdad, Hussain and Sabir, who were shifted to undisclosed location for interrogation.
In Michani area of Ghalanai, two militants, including an Afghan national, were killed in a clash with security forces during a search operation.
The Afghan was Hamza, while the identity of the other militant couldn't be ascertained.
The security forces also arrested 15 suspected militants in the area. Sources said that the killed Afghan was identified as Hamza.
Meanwhile, three tankers carrying fuel for Nato forces in Afghanistan were completely destroyed in two bomb explosions in Landi Kotal on Thursday evening.
Parked alongside the Landi Kotal-Torkhum Bypass, one tanker caught fire after the explosion. The fire later engulfed a nearby tanker ruining it, too.
The third tanker was destroyed in Charwazgai after a bomb fitted beneath it went off.
A local militant group, Abdullah Ezzam Brigade, claimed responsibility for both the attacks and warned transporters to stop carrying Nato supplies to prevent attacks.
In the current week, Nato tankers and vehicles were attacked by militants in the area for the third time.
In another development, security forces on Thursday arrested five suspected militants during a raid on a house in Alamgudar area of Bara tehsil and seized a large cache of hashish and chemical used for heroin making.