SWABI: The police claim to have arrested four militants, including a prayer leader, belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) during a raid on a house in Hund village here on Friday night, regional police officer (RPO) Mohammad Ali Gandapur said on Saturday.

Addressing a press conference, RPO Gandapur accompanied by district police officer Najamul Hussain said the police had also recovered five kilogramme explosives, 26 hand grenades, 46 detonators, 60 safety fuses, two transmitters, a Kalashnikov, wire and receivers, one rocket launcher and a pistol, 49 dry battery cells, 237 rounds, four magazines, seven mobile phones and 78 CD decks.

He said the raid was conducted on a house adjacent to the residence of Abdur Rehman, a local government councillor and also Pesh Imam of a local mosque, who was also present there.

Mr Gandapur said Abdur Rehman’s passport was also recovered from the house.

He said some weapons were dumped in a nearby under-construction house and some in the fields.

He said the weapons were recovered when the arrested militants pointed to the two places.

RPO Gandapur identified the militants as prayer leader Abdur Rehman and Saqib Khan of Hund village, Imran of Mohmand tribal district and Zubair of Bajaur tribal district.

He claimed that the police had broken the local network of militants and more militants were expected to be arrested soon.

He said these militants led by Izharullah, who had blown himself up when the police encircled his hideout on Monday, had crossed over into Pakistan from Afghanistan in November 2022 and reached the district to target the police and other vital installations.

However, he said the police were committed to eradicating militants from the district.

It is to mention here that two militants, including Izharullah, had blown themselves up in same Hund village on Monday and one of them was arrested alive by the police.

Mr Gandapur said the killing of two militants and arrest of five was a remarkable achievement against the militants, who had developed their network in Swabi. “We are closing in on other members of the militant network,” he said, adding that people would hear good news very soon.

However, he said that the police’s capacity building and operational modernisation was required to meet any eventuality and emerging challenges.

Published in Dawn, February 5th, 2023