The Punjab Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) said on Saturday it had killed five terrorists and successfully thwarted a terror plot in Taunsa Sharif in a “major counter-terrorism breakthrough”.
A press release by the CTD said that an intelligence-based operation took place near the Tri-Border Village.
According to a CTD spokesperson, the operation was launched following “credible intelligence reports” about the presence of alleged armed terrorists in the area. Although the operation aimed to apprehend them, they opened fire on the CTD team, leading to a retaliatory crossfire.
The press release detailed that the exchange of heavy fire continued for several hours, during which five terrorists were eliminated, while five others sustained injuries and escaped into the nearby forest.
“The CTD teams acted swiftly and professionally, preventing what could have been a catastrophic attack,” the statement added.
During the combing operation, the team recovered a cache of lethal weapons including rifles, three improvised explosive devices, a large quantity of ammunition, hand grenades and explosive material.
The statement highlighted that these recoveries underscored the severity of the threat and the scale of the planned attack.
It added that a search operation was currently underway to trace and apprehend the wounded terrorists who fled the scene. The press release said CTD teams established checkpoints near Romani, Taunsa, to secure the region and prevent further escape and the identification process of the deceased terrorists was ongoing.
It said four bodies were handed over to the hospital for legal formalities, while one was taken from the scene by the accomplices.