In a determined effort to eliminate terrorist threats and dismantle the khwarij networks, security forces continue to conduct series of intelligence based operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, based on credible intelligence leads. Operations have been further expanded to hotspots including Datta Khel, Spinwam and Bannu.
Over the last 48 hours, during the conduct of these series of operations, own troops effectively engaged multiple khwarij locations. Following intense and fierce exchanges of fire, 23 more khwarij belonging to Indian-sponsored Fitna-al-Khwarij including kharji Ring leader Jan Meer alias Toor Saqib have been neutralised in the aforementioned areas, thereby giving a significant blow to the khwarij networks operating in these areas. Kharji Ring leader Jan Meer alias Toor Saqib was highly wanted by the Security Forces and Government had fixed Head money on him for his active involvement in numerous terrorist activities including killing of security forces personnel and innocent civilians.
Weapons, ammunition and large cache of explosives and prepared Improvised Explosive Devices have also been recovered from killed Indian sponsored Khwarij, who remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities in the area. Moreover, during sanitization operations series of complex network of underground tunnels and bunkers used by khwarij were also unearthed and destroyed by security forces.
Sanitization operations continue to eliminate holed up khwarij from these areas, as relentless Counter Terrorism campaign under vision “Azm e Istehkam” (as approved by Federal Apex Committee on National Action Plan) by Security Forces and Law Enforcement Agencies of Pakistan will continue at full pace to wipe out the menace of foreign sponsored and supported terrorism from the country.
Quadcopter attack kills two schoolchildren in Bajaur
Two schoolchildren were killed after a quadcopter drone, reportedly operated from an unknown location, struck a hilly area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bajaur district on Thursday.
Local residents and official sources told the media that the fatal incident occurred in the Shahi Thangi area, located about 25 kilometres from Khar, the district headquarters of Bajaur, around noon. They added that the children were returning home from school when they were hit, leaving them critically wounded.
The two boys, aged 10 and 12, were immediately taken by locals to the District Headquarters Hospital in Khar for treatment. However, both were pronounced dead upon arrival, they said. It remains unconfirmed where the quadcopter was launched from and who was responsible for the attack.
Meanwhile, sources in the local police told the media that they have launched an investigation into the incident to determine who was responsible and what the motive was.