PESHAWAR: The local police on Wednesday claimed to have foiled a terrorist bid and seized a large cache of heavy arms in Regi area on the outskirts of the capital city.

Addressing a news conference at the Malik Saad Shaheed Police Lines, Peshawar SSP (operations) Javed Iqbal said the seized arms, which were buried underground, included anti-tank mines, rockets, mortar shells, rocket propelled grenades, detonators and other items used in making suicide jackets.

He said after getting a tip-off that two suspected terrorists, Abdullah and Mumtaz, had hidden heavy arms somewhere in Regi, the police checked a house in Ghazli Ghari area and seized a large cache of arms.

The SSP said the suspects weren’t home when the raid was conducted.

He said the police personnel dug up different portions of the house and recovered arms concealed in plastic drums and buried underground. He said it seemed that the arms were to be used for some terrorist activity in the capital city.

Mr Iqbal said the arms included three anti-tank mines, a rocket launcher, three rockets, seven shells of 81MM mortar, several RPGs, and items used to make suicide jackets.

He said the suspects, including Mumtaz and Abdullah, were wanted in several cases of terrorism, murder, attempted murder and heinous crimes.

The SSP said the police had registered FIR and had begun search for suspects.

SUSPECTED KILLER HELD: The police on Wednesday claimed to have arrested a man suspected of killing a transgender person on the Ring Road in Peshawar lately.

SSP Javed Iqbal said two motorcyclists had opened fire on a rickshaw, killing transgender person Chutki, a resident of Tank.

He said during investigation, the police learned that suspected killer Asif and transgender person Chutki were in a relationship and that the former had warned the latter against performing in marriage functions.

The SSP said the suspect and his accomplice, Bilal Hussain Paracha, gunned down Chutki and accompanying with Azaz near Patang Chowk when the latter were riding a rickshaw.

He said the police traced the suspect after getting the records of his threatening calls to the transgender persons.

The SSP said the suspect fled to Lahore after committing the murder and was arrested on return.

He said the other suspect, Bilal Hussain, was at large and the police were searching for him.

Published in Dawn, April 19th, 2018