PESHAWAR/QUETTA: Eight terrorists were killed, including two ringleaders, and a large cache of weapons, ammunition and explosi­v­­es were recovered by security forces in two intelligence-based operations carried out in Khyber and Tank districts, the military’s media wing said.

Separately, the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) of police on Monday claimed to have arrested four suspected militants, including a Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) affiliate, involved in the last month’s attack on a Chinese convoy in Shangla district.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said the security forces planned the operations based on the reported presence of militants in these areas.

In the Khyber operation, an intense exchange of fire took place between security forces and militants in which four militants, including ringleaders Qari Wajid alias Qari Baryal and Razziq, were killed.

CTD claims arrest of four suspects of Bisham attack; FC man martyred in Balochistan

“Terrorists’ hideout was also busted during the operation and a large cache of weapons, ammunition and explosives was recovered,” the ISPR said.

In the Tank district raid conducted on Sunday night, the security forces effectively engaged the militants and killed four of them. They remai­ned actively involved in terrorist activities in the area. Arms and ammunition were also recovered from them, the ISPR said.

Bisham attack arrests

The CTD said it had arrested four suspected militants, including a TTP affiliate, involved in an attack targeting the Chin­ese convoy in Shangla.

The CTD said a joint investigation team, assisted by all law enforcement agencies, uncovered a militant network and arrested the four militants allegedly involved in the Shangla attack. It said one militant, a member of the outlawed TTP group, had confessed his role in the attack on the convoy.

The department identified the suspects as TTP affiliate Adil Shehbaz and three others, including Shafiq Qureshi, Zahid Qureshi and Nazeer Hussain, all hailing from Mansehra. It said Shehbaz admitted to having played a key role in the attack.

FC man martyred in Duki

A soldier of the Frontier Corps was martyred and three others were injured in an attack on the Quick Resp­onse Force in the Duki area of Balochistan.

Officials said the armed men attacked an FC post set up in the coal field area of Duki for the security of miners. “The armed men targeted the QRF soldiers before reaching the coalmine field,” Duki deputy commissioner Fayyaz Ali said. The injured soldiers were shifted to Duki district hospital.

The soldier martyred in the ambush was identified as Mohammad Bilal while injured soldiers were identified as Lance Naik Abdul Qayyum, Lance Naik Asmatullah and Sepoy Shahzad.

Separately, a militant was kil­led in an encounter on San­javi Road in Ziarat area of Balochistan, according to an official statement.

Published in Dawn, April 30th, 2024