SWABI: The local police used modern technology of geo-fencing to arrest two members of banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, involved in the killing of Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) district coordinator Dr Mohammad Yaqoob and a constable, said DPO Javed Iqbal.

Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, he said that the modern technology helped police to locate the suspects. Dr Yaqoob was killed on November 30 while on the same day militants shot dead policeman Imtiaz Khan and injured his colleague Ghulam Abbas.

Mr Iqbal said that the killing of Dr Yaqoob was not an ordinary incident. He said that both the arrested militants were brothers. The geo-fencing technology made clear the timing of the killing and presence of the arrested militants at the spot, he said.

DPO says both the arrested militants are brothers

Flanked by DSP Azhar Shah and counter-terrorist department officials, he said after killing of police rider Imtiaz, the militants left behind an unregistered motorcycle.

Police traced the dealer and owner of the motorcycle, Jamilur Rehman, a resident of Malikabad, where security forces conducted an operation in Feb 2010 and killed a militant leader Shafi Akbar, he said. He added that later ANP leader Hanif Gul Jadoon, who also belonged to Malikabad, was also killed by militants in a suicide attack.

The DPO said that police also got the mobile number of a militant identified as Ameer Rehman. A complete geo-fencing confirmed their involvement in the targeted killing, he said. “However, they had already vacated their house in Malikabad when police raided it,” he added.

Mr Iqbal said that after midnight police got information about their presence in Pabbini, a village situated adjacent to Malikabad. Police cordoned off the area and started patrolling of all entry and exit routes, he added. “We arrested them from Pabbini and recovered a motorcycle, two hand grenades, two pistols, five kilograms of explosive, four detonators, safety fuse and other items used in terrorism,” he said. They were identified as Ameer Rehman and Khalid Rehman, he said.

The arrested persons were also presented before media.

To a question, he said that Jamilur Rehman, father of the two militants, went underground. His other son Abu Saeed, also a militant, was killed in encounter about eight month ago, he added. The official said that about 700 people, arrested during the recent operations in different areas, were released after completion of investigations.

SCHOOLS: Majority of private schools in the district remained closed on Tuesday to remember the victims of Army Public School, Peshawar attack. The management of the institutions said that they would also keep their schools closed on Wednesday.

The teachers of the schools paid rich tributes to the students of Army Public School and lauded army for launching operation against militants after the gory incident.

Published in Dawn, December 16th, 2015