PESHAWAR/NORTH WAZIRISTAN: Four alleged militants were killed and three injured in two separate intelligence-based operations in Dera Ismail Khan and North Waziristan districts on Tuesday.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police’s Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) said an operation was launched on a tip-off about the presence of militants near the Bhagwani area within the limits of the Dera Town police station.

The CTD statement added that the militants opened fire on law enforcement personnel as they closed in on the location, forcing them to retaliate.

The firing left two militants dead two while three managed to escape. The deceased were identified as Akhtar Munir and Abdul Aziz and they were wanted by the D.I. Khan CTD in several terrorism cases, according to the statement.

The militants belonged to the Gandapur faction of the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan.

Two AK-47 rifles, four hand grenades and six magazines were recovered from the militants’ possession.

In a separate operation in the Khajori Pul area of North Waziristan’s Mir Ali tehsil, two alleged militants were killed while three were wounded.

Sources said injured militants managed to escape and security forces have launched a search operation in the area. Arms and explosives were also recovered from the militants’ possession.

Published in Dawn, March 15th, 2023