PESHAWAR: Two persons, who were killed during an encounter, were identified as members of a proscribed organisation.

According to police, the killed persons were identified as Mohammad Zahir alias Japanay alias Muzeer and Shehzad, both residents of Peshawar. Officials said that the killed terrorists were involved in targeted attacks on members of Shia community.

They were killed in an encounter with police in Wazir Bagh on Wednesday night when law enforcers raided a house in the area. Four policemen were injured and one was killed in the encounter. The killed policeman, a member of Elite Force, was identified as Fakhr Alam.

An official said that heavy contingents of police had cordoned off the entire area and exchange of fire continued till late in the night. He said that it was not confirmed that some terrorists managed to escape from the house. However, he said that police were trying to arrest suspected people in the area. He said that police faced difficulties during search operation owing to prolonged power loadshedding in the area.

The funeral prayers of the killed policeman were offered at Malik Saad Police Lines where IGP Nasir Khan Durrani told journalists that police raided the house following a tip-off about presence of terrorists there.

He appreciated the role of security forces and police in the war against terrorism. He said police defused two hand grenades during the shootout. He said that the recent terrorist incidents could be reaction of the military operations in Khyber and Waziristan agencies. — Bureau Report

Published in Dawn, November 14th, 2014