DERA ISMAIL KHAN/UPPER DIR: Police recovered suicide jackets and a large cache of arms and ammunition during a raid in Girra Jana village in Kulchi tehsil here on Sunday.

District Police Officer Sadiq Hussain Baloch told a press conference that police raided a house in Girra Jana village on a tip-off and recovered a huge cache of arms and ammunition.

He said that police also exchanged fire with suspected terrorists including Qari Ikram, who was involved in the assassination of a local political leader Jamshed Faqir.

The DPO said that the suspects managed to escape, taking advantage of thick wild bushes and trees. They left behind two suicide jackets, 13 remote-controlled bomb fuses, 17 hand grenades, five kilograms of explosives along with ball-bearings, batteries and poisonous medicines.

To a question, the official said the group was involved in attack and killing of Jamshed Faqir. He said that militant commander Sher Ali of Kot Sultan, another member of the group, was involved in kidnapping of a Chinese national. Sher Ali’s mother had confirmed during interrogation that her son had brought an ‘Englishman’ when he visited home last time, he added.

Meanwhile, security forces and district administration said on Sunday that the Saturday’s attack in Upper Dir was carried out by militants.

They claimed that Taliban commander for Upper Dir was killed in retaliatory firing. Fourr persons were killed in the Saturday’s attack. Officials said Pakistani Taliban based in Afghanistan’s Kunar province had appointed Qari Usman alias Abubakar for Upper Dir, who was killed along with two other militants in retaliatory firing.

Deputy Commissioner Dr Imran Sheikh, DPO Javed Khan and ISPR spokesman in Upper Dir Col Aqeel Malik briefed journalists in Chukiatan Fort.

The journalists were shown the bodies of killed militants and weapons recovered from their possession.

Earlier local police had said that the attack could be result of a land dispute but the officials said during the briefing that it was carried out by militants. They said that identities of the two other killed militants could not be ascertained by Sunday evening. “The killing of Qari Usman is a major success. It became possible with the help of villagers as they besieged the attacking militants,” said Dr Imran.

Published in Dawn, Aug 11th, 2014