PESHAWAR: Three terrorists of the self-styled Islamic State including a senior commander were killed in an intelligence-based operation in the limits of Faqirabad police station on Monday.

Capital City Police Officer Abbas Ahsan told journalists at Malik Saad Shaheed Police Lines that the slain terrorists were involved in several incidents of targeted killing and other acts of terrorism.

He said that police personnel were tracing them. He said that on receiving report about their presence at Ring Road cemetery in Faqirabad area, police rushed to the site, where the terrorists opened firing on them.

Mr Ahsan said that police responded to the fire and killed three terrorists. He said that police personnel recovered three Kalashnikovs, pistols and explosives from the killed terrorists.

He said that the slain terrorists were identified as Abdullah, Suliman and Hayat. He said that all of them were affiliated with the outlawed Islamic State.

He said that the terrorists had murdered a Sikh hakim Satnam Singh in Faqirabad earlier in September. He added that the terrorists were also involved in two incidents of targeted killing of police personnel in the city.

Besides, the official said, the terrorists were also involved in several other cases of targeted killing and other heinous crimes including improvised explosive attacks on the high voltage electricity transmission lines.

Mr Ahsan said that the terrorists were also involved in several incidents of extortions and had carried out bomb attacks for the purpose. He said that one of the terrorist belonged to Afghanistan. Another belonged to Bajaur and the other was a resident of Mohmand tribal district.

He said that Abdullah, an Afghan terrorist, had managed to escape during a clash with police in the limits of Shah Pur police station in 2017.

Mr Ahsan said that terrorist Hayat was the Islamic State commander for Peshawar and Hayat for Bajaur. He said that two other accused managed to escape during the operation on Monday night and police teams were looking for them.

Published in Dawn, December 21st, 2021