Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Security forces apprehended as many as 14 terror facilitators and smugglers in separate raids across the country on Saturday.

Intelligence-based operations were conducted in Attock, Islamabad, Lahore and Dera Ghazi Khan, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.

The joint operation, the military’s media wing added, was conducted by Pakistan Rangers, Punjab Police and intelligence agencies.

A huge cache of illegal arms and ammunition was recovered from the suspects, the ISPR added.

Country-wide raids are being conducted as part of the continuing military offensive, Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad.

Meanwhile, the Frontier Corps (FC) on Saturday foiled a major terror plot and seized a huge cache of explosive material, arms and ammunition during raids carried out in different parts of Balochistan.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the FC personnel conducted intelligence-based operations (IBOs) in Grandan, Kohlu and Ghazi Nullah, Uch Naseerabad and recovered 1,300 kilogrammes of explosives, weapons and ammunition, including sub-machine guns, rockets and hand grenades.

Besides weapons and ammunition, maps of important areas and communication equipment were also recovered. The explosive material was meant to be used in terrorist activities in the province.

Earlier, during an IBO, the FC seized a huge cache of arms and ammunition, including mortars and rockets in Tadri area of Balochistan’s Kohlu district. Separately, three Frontier Corps (FC) personnel were injured when a landmine exploded near their vehicle on Saturday. The vehicle was damaged in the blast leaving three FC men injured who were rushed to a hospital for treatment.

The security forces cordoned off the area after the explosion and launched a search operation.

In a separate incident, a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader was gunned down in Bannu on Saturday.

As per the details, PTI leader Malik Hokumat Khan was returning home after attending a congregation at Tableeghi Markaz when some unidentified assailants opened fire on him, killing him on the spot.

Police and other law enforcement agencies rushed to the spot after the incident. The body was shifted to a local hospital for medico legal formalities. Police cordoned off the area and started a manhunt to arrest assailants.

Published in Daily Times, October 8^th 2017.