BAJAUR: Security forces on Monday claimed to have killed two senior ‘militant commanders’ and arrested several others during an intelligence-based operation in Salarzai tehsil in Bajaur tribal district, official sources said.

The sources said the intelligence-based operation was carried out on an information in the Tangi area on Sunday night. They said they had information that some militants were present in their ‘secret hideouts’ and trying to carry out sabotage activities in the region.

The sources said that a contingent of security forces moved there and an encounter took place.

They said that two key militants commanders identified as Zubair and Azizur Rahman alias Fida who, according to the officials, belonged to the militant Islamic State group were killed in the action. Several other militants were arres­ted, they added. The sources said a security official was wounded in the operation.

They said Zubair was wanted for his involvement in several terrorist activities, while Fida was the Karachi chief of IS group.

The sources said that a large quantity of weapons was recovered from the hideouts during the action.

They recalled that security forces had killed ‘terrorist’ Khalil alias Yaseen during a search operation in Bajaur a few days ago.

According an Inter-Services Public Relations release, a major terrorist network was neutralised near village Tangi. It said Zubair and Fida were involved in terrorist activities in Bajaur and Karachi. They were also involved in terrorist incidents against law enforcement agencies, government officials and civilians.

The ISPR said that the network was coordinating terrorist activities in various areas of Pakistan and receiving direct orders from their RAW-sponsored leadership from across the border.

Published in Dawn, November 24th, 2020