DERA ISMAIL KHAN: A gunfight between suspected terrorists and security forces left six militants, including a “high value target”, dead while two soldiers were martyred in Ladha tehsil of South Waziristan tribal district on Saturday.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement that security forces conducted a successful intelligence-based operation in Spina Mela village in South Waziristan. The operation was carried out in the area dominated by Mehsud tribe.

It said the IBO was launched on reports of presence of some terrorists, who had entered the area along with temporarily displaced persons returning from Afghanistan. After an exchange of fire, six terrorists — including the high value target Nanakar — were killed. During the exchange, Havaldar Razzaq Khan and Havaldar Mumtaz Hussain embraced martyrdom.

ISPR says armed men entered Pakistan along with IDPs returning from Afghanistan

In the operation, weapons and ammunition were seized along with communication sets through which terrorists were in contact with their handlers across the border in the Afghan province of Paktia.

Meanwhile, banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) spokesman Mohammad Khurasani claimed responsibility for the encounter with security forces in Spina Mela.

On June 15, three army soldiers had embraced martyrdom in an exchange of fire with terrorists from across the Pak-Afghan border. Five terrorists were also killed during the attack.

A statement issued soon after the attack by ISPR had said that terr­orists from across the Pak-Afghan border attempted multiple physical and gun raids on Pakistan Army posts along the Pak-Afghan border in Shawal, North Waziris­tan Agency. In the wake of the att­ack, ISPR DG Maj Gen Asif Gha­foor had said terrorist incidents in Pakistan were linked to sanctuaries across the Afghanistan border.

Published in Dawn, June 24th, 2018