DERA ISMAIL KHAN/SOUTH WAZIRISTAN: The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) along with the security forces on Thursday safely rescued five out of 13 employees of a private company who were abducted near the Domanra Bridge here, a key point connecting Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, sources confirmed.

According to CTD, the workers were employees of ZKB Private Company and traveling in a convoy of three vehicles from Islamabad to Quetta when unknown assailants intercepted them and kidnapped 13 workers along with two of their vehicles.

Responding swiftly to the abduction alert, Dera Ismail Khan District Police Officer Sajad Ahmad Sahibzada led a joint quick-response operation involving CTD and district police strike units.

The security forces engaged in a gunfire exchange with the abductors in the areas of Kulachi and Daraban.

As a result of the operation, five abductees were safely rescued, while efforts were ongoing to locate and recover the remaining eight workers.

In a positive development, 13 suspected militants and facilitators were arrested during raids on suspected hideouts as part of the ongoing search-and-strike operation.

Meanwhile in Upper South Waziristan, Imran Wazir, deputy director of agriculture, who was abducted at gunpoint two weeks ago from Tank, was safely recovered Thursday night, officials confirmed.

His release was officially confirmed by the department of agriculture as well as his family members. Imran Wazir, originally from Wana, was reportedly moved to an unknown location following his abduction.

According to Anwar Khan Bettani, director of agriculture Dera Ismail Khan, the kidnapping was carried out at gunpoint and Imran Wazir was being held at an undisclosed location since then.

Sources said that senior officials from the agriculture department, along with Imran Wazir’s family, remained actively engaged in efforts to secure his release.

Family sources confirmed that Imran Wazir had been successfully recovered and safely rejoined with his family.

Published in Dawn, June 6th, 2025