Five alleged contract killers were killed during a police encounter in Peshawar on Monday morning, according to an official police statement. The incident occurred when a special team of the capital city police conducted a raid on a suspected hideout.
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Police said the operation triggered an exchange of fire between the suspects and law enforcement personnel. After an intense shootout, five alleged hired assassins were killed, while some of their accomplices managed to flee the scene.
The deceased suspects were identified as Hamid, Bilal, Haji Malang, Najmul Hassan alias Pheeny, and Kamranullah. Police said weapons and other incriminating material were recovered from the site.
پشاور پولیس کا مقابلہ، پولیس اہلکاروں کو شہید کرنے سمیت ٹارگٹ کلنگ کی 30 سے زائد وارداتوں میں ملوث گینگ کے 5 ملزمان مارے گئے۔ pic.twitter.com/kLdTQaFukO
— Muhammad Umair (@MohUmair87) December 29, 2025
According to the statement, the group was operating under the Lal Sher and Jan Sher network, a notorious gang based in Peshawar. The gang was allegedly involved in 31 targeted killings across multiple districts.
Police said the victims of the group’s attacks included civilians as well as law enforcement personnel. Among those killed in previous incidents were two police constables, a leader of the Awami National Party (ANP), and his brother.
The statement added that the gang carried out 12 murders in Peshawar, 17 in Nowshera, and one each in Charsadda and Darra Adamkhel. Authorities described the group as highly dangerous and involved in organised crime.
Earlier this month, on December 4, police killed three members of the Lal Sher alias Lalay group during two separate pre-dawn raids. Those suspects were wanted in 34 criminal cases, including murders, attacks on police, and land grabbing.
A senior police official said the raids were conducted simultaneously in the Puran area of Shangla district and the Shahpur area of Peshawar. The operation in Puran reportedly lasted nearly seven hours.
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During those raids, Lal Sher and his brother Jan Sher were killed in Shangla, while another gang member, Ramazan Sher, was killed in Shahpur. Police said operations against criminal gangs would continue to ensure public safety.