LAKKI MARWAT: A Frontier Constabulary soldier was martyred and beheaded by unknown attackers in Janikhel town of Bannu district, according to police.

The deceased was gunned down, along with his son inside their home, according to the FIR. The victims have been identified as Rehman Zaman, 45, and Shahid, 18.

The victim’s widow, in her statement, told the police that her husband and son were asleep in the house late on Monday night when they heard loud noises. When they came out of the bedroom, they saw around 20 armed men in the compound.

She claimed that unidentified gunmen shot the victims and then beheaded her husband’s body.

Tribal elder gunned down in North Waziristan; D.I. Khan DPO survives attack on convoy

The assailants took away the head with them, the widow said, claiming that it was a result of her husband’s government job.

She said her family had no dispute with anyone and that her husband was employed with the Frontier Constabulary.

Meanwhile, locals claimed that the assailants hung the head from a tree in the Bachki market area which was spotted by tribesmen in the morning who then informed the police.

The police shifted the bodies to the district headquarters hospital in Bannu city for medico-legal formalities.

A case has been registered against unknown assailants at the Janikhel police station.

Tribal elder killed

In Mirali subdivision of North Waziristan district, a tribal leader, identified as Malik Alamgir Khan, was shot dead by unknown assailants when he was going to his village, Hyder Khel.

The attack came a day after a local was killed in the Tapi area of the district. The attacker was also killed after the victim’s relatives chased him.

Three ‘militants’ killed

In Dera Ismail Khan, three alleged militants were gunned down, while a top police official survived an attack on his convoy on Tuesday.

According to the police, the alleged militants were killed in a joint operation by the police and security agencies in Girah Mastan village of Dera Ismail Khan.

A district police spokesman said the operation was jointly conducted by the Counter-Terrorism Department, security agencies and local police on information about the presence of militants in the area.

As the forces circled in on their hideout, the militants opened fire. In the ensuing gunbattle, three alleged militants were killed who were later identified as Munib, Junaid and Shaukat, belonging to the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan Gandapur group, according to the police.

In Khoi Barah area of Darazinda tehsil, District Police Officer (DPO) Muhammad Shoaib remained unhurt in an attack targeting his convoy.

A constable travelling with the squad was injured and several vehicles were damaged in the attack.

According to a police spokesman, DPO Shoaib was on a visit to check security measures for the ongoing polio campaign in Darazinda tehsil when his convoy came under attack.

As the convoy reached the Basic Health Unit in Khoi Bhara, militants opened indiscriminate fire, the spokesman added.

The police promptly retaliated, but the attackers managed to flee.

Later, police and security personnel cordoned off the area and started a search operation to track down the attackers.

Haji Pazir Gul in North Waziristan and Mohammad Irfan Mughal in Dera Ismail Khan contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, December 7th, 2022