KURRAM: At least four members of a family were killed when an improvised explosive device (IED) went off in the Kurram tribal district on Sunday, while police claimed to have gunned down a militant commander during an operation in Lakki Marwat.

A vehicle was caught up in the IED explosion in Kurram’s Teendo area as it was passing through Korram Road.

As a result, four people travelling in the vehicle were killed and another was injured, with the vehicle being destroyed in the explosion.

The victims were identified as Saeedullah, his son Hasnain, brother Hanifullah, and relative Zakria. The locals said that the victims were travelling to Sadda bazaar from central Kurram to buy an animal for Eidul Azha.

‘Militant commander’ killed in Lakki Marwat operation, police say

District emergency officer of Rescue 1122 Ghulam Murtaza said that the rescuers reached the spot soon after receiving information about the IED explosion and shifted the deceased and the injured to the hospital. District police officer Nisar Ahmad Khan said that the police had launched an investigation into the incident.

In a separate incident, two brothers were shot dead by unidentified assailants in the Sateen area of lower Kurram. The victims were identified as Habib and Shereen.

Lakki Marwat operation

Meanwhile, a local militant commander was killed in an intelligence-based operation in Malang adda on Saturday night, said police. According to a police official, the operation was jointly carried out by the local police and the Counter Terrorism Department on information about the presence of militants in the remits of Serai Gambila police station.

The official claimed that the police had received “credible reports” about the presence of seven to eight militants in the locality with the intention of committing a subversive act. He said that when law enforcement personnel reached the area, the militants shot at them with automatic weapons, triggering a gun battle. “The exchange of fire between the law enforcers and militants continued for half an hour and later police found the body of militant commander during a search operation,” he maintained.

He identified the killed militant as Waliullah, a resident of Bachkan Ahmadzai, and said that the commander was affiliated with the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Teepo group. The police official said the slain commander was also wanted by the CTD in Bannu and D.I. Khan in multiple attacks.

Ghulam Mursalin Marwat in Lakki Marwat also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, June 17th, 2024