LAHORE: Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of police claimed on Wednesday to have killed nine Al Qaeda militants in an encounter in Sheikhupura in wee hours of Wednesday after raiding their hideout.

A CTD spokesman said they received a tip-off that some militants were hiding in Kheroki Malian, Sheikhupura, to launch attacks on police personnel and offices of sensitive agencies in and around Lahore.

He said a police team raided the place around 1am to arrest the suspects, making announcements asking them to surrender.

He said the suspects, who were in two to three small groups, started firing at CTD personnel. He said the CTD personnel returned the fire in self-defence. When the firing stopped, the personnel found nine militants, yet to be identified, lying dead.

The CTD claimed the suspects were killed in firing by their own accomplices.

The spokesman said some four to five suspects fled the scene taking benefit of darkness.

He said the CTD team searched the militants’ hideout and recovered six kilograms of explosive material, prima cord, four Kalashnikovs, five pistols, as many motorcycles and bullets.

The team later also launched a search operation in and around Sheikhupura to arrest the fleeing suspects.

Police shifted the bodies to city morgue for identification and started investigation after registration of a case against the suspects, the spokesman said.

Published in Dawn November 3rd, 2016