Paramilitary personnel killed in bid to free hostages
By Our Correspondent
LANDI KOTAL (Khyber Agency), Sept 9: A member of the Mehsud Scouts and an alleged outlaw were killed and two others injured in a shootout in Bara on Friday. The incident occurred at Nala area where the Mehsud Scouts and Khasadar force had raided the house of Haji Gul to free a hostage.
The inmates of the house allegedly opened fire and hurled a hand-grenade at the raiding party killing Hassan Ali, a naik of the Mehsud Scouts, and injuring sepoys Mohammadi Khan and Safar Ali.
The security agencies returned the fire and killed an alleged outlaw Wahab Khan, brother of Haji Gul. However, the raiding party failed to recover the captive.
Raza Khan, a fruit dealer of Peshawar, was kidnapped from his house in the Sefoorabad locality allegedly by a proclaimed offender Muhammad Khan on Thursday night and taken to Haji Muhammad’s house in Bara. Raza’s cousin Abdul Qasim was seriously injured when he offered resistance to the kidnapper.
Raza Khan’s family said that Muhammad Khan had been demanding extortion money for quite some time which the businessman had refused to pay.
Raza Khan’s relatives lodged a complaint with the Bara political authorities who initiated the rescue operation.
AFP quoted Khyber Agency officer Fazal Maibood as saying that a paramilitary soldier and two suspected kidnappers were killed in the operation.
The operation was continuing and the hostage had not been released, said Mr Maibood.
WOMAN KILLED: Meanwhile, an unidentified woman was killed when army troops manning a checkpoint opened fire at a suspected vehicle on Friday, our correspondent in Miramshah adds.
