KHYBER: The counter-terrorism department (CTD) claimed on Monday to have killed a militant commander during an intelligence-based operation in Jamrud tehsil of Khyber district.

In a statement, the CTD said militant commander, Liaquat Ali alias Shaheen, was holed up in a house in Gharreeza locality. A raid was conducted on the house on a tip-off, it added.

The statement said Shaheen was killed and three armed men were arrested while trying to flee in injured condition. The exchange of fire continued for nearly three hours.

The entire Gharreeza locality was cordoned off during the operation. Army helicopters were spotted overhead, supposedly to monitor the situation on the ground.

The statement said the group was involved in a number of terrorist attacks in Peshawar and Khyber in recent past. The CTD said the killed commander was affiliated with self-styled Islamic State group, and also remained part of proscribed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan.

The statement said Shaheen and his group were involved in a recent grenade attack on Regi Model Town police station, firing on an FC checkpost in Gudar area of Jamrud, in which an FC official was martyred; firing on a police mobile vehicle in Nowshera, in which ASI Fayyaz Khan was martyred and two policemen were injured.

The militant was also allegedly involved in attacks on a police team in Mathra locality of Peshawar, which was providing security to a polio vaccination team. A constable, Mohib, had lost his life in the attack. The militant and his accomplices had also killed a constable, Asifullah in Khazana area; a constable, namely Bin Yamin, in a grenade attack on a police mobile near Karkhano market in the recent past.

Independent sources in the region said the group was also behind several cases of extortion and other criminal activities.

Published in Dawn, November 8th, 2022