Thirteen terrorists killed in two separate IBOs in KP

Four cops injured in explosion in LakkiMarwat

RAWALPINDI: Security forces killed 13 terrorists in two separate intelligence-based operations (IBOs) in KhyberPakhtunkhwa province on March 30, the military’s media wing said on Wednesday.

According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the operations were carried out after reports of the presence of terrorists belonging to the Indian proxy Fitna al Khawarij, which is the state-designated term for the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

According to the ISPR, one operation was conducted in Khyber district, where troops “effectively engaged the khwarijs’ location and after an intense fire exchange, ten khwarij were sent to hell”.

In a separate operation in Bannu district, three terrorists were killed during an exchange of fire, the statement said. “Sanitisation operations were ongoing to eliminate any other Indian-sponsored kharji found in the area,” it added.

The ISPR said that the counter-terrorism campaign under the vision Azm-e-Istehkam, approved by the Federal Apex Committee on the National Action Plan, “will continue at full pace to wipe out the menace of foreign-sponsored and supported terrorism from the country”.

Meanwhile, four policemen were injured in an explosion in the SeraiNaurang town of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’sLakkiMarwat district on Wednesday.

District Police Spokesperson Qudratullah Khan told media that the explosion occurred on the busy Bannu-DI Khan Road near a fruit and vegetable market.

He said that according to initial information, the attackers targeted a police patrol party from the ShaheedAsmatullah Khan Khattak police station.

The spokesperson said Head Constable Waheedullah and Constables Syed Anwar, Hadiullah and Ikramullah were injured in the explosion.

He said that the van the police party had been patrolling in was also damaged in the explosion.

The exact nature and cause of the explosion are yet to be determined. Police have not commented on the nature of the explosion, but local residents attribute it to an explosive device, which they said was fitted on a motorcycle.

They also said that some shops and vehicles that were parked near the site of the incident had also been damaged in the explosion.

The incident took place around two weeks after an attack on a police vehicle in LakkiMarwat’sBettani subdivision, in which seven cops, including an officer, were martyred.

According to police, an improvised explosive device was used in the incident to target a squad of the Shadikhel police station while it was on routine patrol.

Six policemen, including a station house officer and five constables, lost their lives in the incident.

Furthermore, President Asif Ali Zardari and PM Shehbaz have commended security forces for eliminating 13 khawarij in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. In separate statements, they reaffirmed the nation’s unwavering resolve to eradicate foreign-backed terrorism. The president said operations against terrorists would continue to ensure national security and the protection of the people, while the prime minister said the security forces stand like a solid wall against terrorism in defence of the country. Staff Report