MARDAN: Several suspected militants and their facilitators were arrested during a joint operation by security forces and police in Mardan, Swabi and surrounding areas.

A statement issued by the ISPR on Monday said the operation was launched on information about the presence of militants and their facilitators in the two districts.

It said that the intelligence-based operations were being conducted in Jalala Afghan camp in Mardan, Malakabad Gadoon area, Topi and adjacent localities of Swabi.

Officials claimed that the search operation had proved a great success and dozens of facilitators of terrorists were taken into custody. They said that operations were led by army, whereas police and intelligence agencies were assisting them.

They added that a huge cache of illegal arms and ammunition and other suspicious items had also been recovered during the operation. The officials said the action was part of a series of operations being conducted throughout the country under the National Action Plan to eliminate terrorists.

Published in Dawn, April 5th, 2016