9 Fitna Al Khawarij militants killed in North Waziristan operations
At least nine Fitna Al Khawarij militants, including four key commanders, were killed during intelligence-based operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s North Waziristan district, sources said on Thursday.
Separately, two policemen were martyred in an attack by armed assailants on a police party in Karak, officials said.
The operations in North Waziristan were conducted in the Palang Zai, Nadeem Kot and Kot Khizri areas under the Azm-e-Istehkam vision.
The four commanders killed were identified as Khalid Raza, Kamran, Musa and Maftoom.
A large quantity of weapons and ammunition was recovered during the operations, while several militant hideouts were also destroyed, the sources said.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised the security forces for the operation, saying the successful actions reflected the country’s unwavering resolve to eliminate terrorism.
He commended the officers and soldiers for their professional capabilities towards establishing lasting peace.
The prime minister said terrorists would not be allowed to achieve their nefarious designs.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said indiscriminate operations against terrorists would continue under the Azm-e-Istehkam vision.
Separately, Station House Officer (SHO) Banda Daud Shah, Daud Khan and his gunner, Farhad, were martyred when unidentified armed men opened fire on a police party in the Karpa area within the jurisdiction of Banda Daud Shah police station in Karak.
According to police, the attackers had been lying in wait for the police party and fled the scene after the attack.
The bodies of the two policemen were shifted to the hospital for post-mortem examinations, while a search operation had been launched in the area under the supervision of the Karak district police officer.
Later, the funeral prayers of the two martyred policemen were offered at the New Police Lines in Karak.
Senior government officials, including the Kohat commissioner and deputy inspector general, as well as the victims’ families, attended the funeral.
A police contingent presented a guard of honour to the martyrs after the prayers, following which their bodies were transported to their ancestral villages.