BUNER: The police here have arrested an alleged militant commander identified as Noor Mohammad, a resident of Swat, and recovered a heavy cache of arms, suicide vests and ammunition.

This was stated by district police officer Khalid Mehmood Hamdani at a press conference at his office in Daggar on Sunday. He said that following a tip-off provided by the militant commander they also recovered three suicide vests, one Kalashnikov, two phone sets, an improvised explosive device, one bomb making kit, two meter electric wire, two bundles of prima cord, three remote control chargers, hundred grams of high quality explosives, three loaded magazines, four electric detonators, 18 non-electrical detonators, one hand grenade and three firing pins of suicide vests.

The seized items and the militant commander were presented before media in the presence of police officers and personnel of law enforcement agencies.

DPO claims militant has confessed to his affiliation with Mullah Fazlullah

The DPO claimed that the militant commander during initial interrogation had confessed to his affiliation with Mullah Fazlullah group of militants since 2007 and that he got training at Sory Dhab, Peochar, in Swat.

He said that the arrested suspect also confessed to having contacts with the militant wings in Buner, Swat, Shangla, Swabi, Mardan and Lower Dir and Afghanistan. Quoting the suspect, he said that at present his wife was in Afghanistan.

Mr Hamdani said that the alleged militant had also confessed to have commanded groups that killed prayer leaders, members of defence committees, police and army personnel.

The DPO claimed the suspect had confessed to killing of two army men at Elum Ghar recently with the group members. He said that Noor Mohammad had also confessed to killing by his group of the prayer leader of Beshband namely Khan Mullah, Said Ghafar of Telegram and policeman Pervez at Mangalore.

Mr Hamdani said that the alleged commander had also killed Adalat Khan advocate in a roadside blast in Gokand valley with the support of other militants.

He has also confessed to commanding a group that killed three policemen and injured an SHO, said the DPO.

Published in Dawn, July 4th, 2016