SOUTH WAZIRISTAN: Three suspected terrorists from the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were killed in a gun battle with members of security forces in South Waziristan tribal district on Saturday.

According to police, clashes between security forces and the insurgents took place in the Shahsur Kaskai area of Servekai tehsil. They said that TTP militants attacked a military convoy which triggered the exchange of fire between the two sides.

Three militants were killed in the exchange of fire. They were identified as Shamsuddin, Rehmatullah and Adil Khan.

This was the first clash between security forces and the TTP after two splinter groups of militants declared the launch of an armed struggle against Pakistan three weeks ago.

Mohammad Khurasani, central spokesman for the TTP, in a social media post had announced that Umar Khalid Khurasani, the head of the Jamaatul Ahrar and Umar Khurasani, the head of his own splinter faction of Hizbul Ahrar, had dissolved their respective groups and taken the oath of allegiance to TTP chief Mufti Noor Wali Mehsud, aka Abu Asim Mansoor.

In another incident, a check-post came under fire from a non-custom paid vehicle near Wana, the district headquarters. Officials said that a child passing near the check post was wounded in the firing.

Members of security forces arrested two people involved in firing and they were taken to Wana Scouts Camp for investigation.

On Thursday, an army lieutenant and two soldiers were martyred and three army soldiers were wounded in a roadside blast in Anakhel area of South Waziristan district.

Published in Dawn, September 6th, 2020