SWAT: Three terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were killed in an encounter with the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) police in Kangar Gali area of Jowar in Buner district on Wednesday.

According to the CTD police, they received information from their secret sources about the presence of terrorists belonging to Swat district at Kangar Gali, a mountainous area of Jowar.

“Following the information, the CTD police reached the area where the terrorists started firing on them. The police retaliated the fire, killing all the three terrorists,” said a statement issued by the CTD, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

They identified the terrorists as Usama Khan, Idrees and Najeebullah, all belonging to Dadahara area of Kabal tehsil in Swat district.

“They were equipped with heavy arms and planning to attack security forces. They were involved in targeted killings of PML-N leader advocate Feroz Shah and a police constable in Swat,” the statement said, adding that heavy arms were recovered from their possession.

Meanwhile, funeral prayers in absentia of the deceased politician and former senator Usman Kakar were held at different places in Swat on Wednesday.

PkMAP provincial and district leaders, political activists of different parties, including ANP, JUI-F, PPP and QWP, lawyers, elders and civil society members attended the funeral prayers.

Published in Dawn, June 24th, 2021