Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Army and intelligence agencies have intensified their combing and intelligence-based operations in various parts of Punjab – including Faisalabad and Lahore – and foiled attempts of possible terror attacks during Eidul Azha, security forces claimed on Saturday.

Spokesman for the Pakistan Army Lieutenant General Asim Saleem Bajwa said in a statement that four terrorists were killed and a security official died during combing operation in Rajanpur district’s Gayandari area. Late night reports also poured in, saying that four more terrorists were killed in the same area.

Security forces are carrying out a combing operation in Gayandari, an area between the border of southwestern Balochistan and central Punjab where many militant hideouts are located. A number of terrorists have been apprehended along with arms and ammunition, the spokesman said. The statement added that some armed outlaws were still hiding in Gayandari. The conflict zone is remote and off-limits to journalists, making it difficult to independently verify the deaths. The operation was part of the ongoing crackdown on militants being carried out by troops across Pakistan.

“Operation against anti-state elements was in progress in the mountainous tribal area of Rajanpur while arrests were also made in this regard,” a senior commander of the border military police told a private news channel.

Earlier in August, Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif chaired a high-level security meeting, following the bombing at Quetta Civil Hospital, and ordered the intelligence agencies to initiate special combing operations to target those involved in terror attacks.

In April, the Pakistan Army launched an operation by deploying troops, including special forces, in the riverine area of Rajanpur to fight criminals belonging to Chotu gang.

A full-fledged operation against the gang was initiated after it had killed seven police officials and taken 24 others hostage.

After the military’s intervention, the leader of the gang, Ghulam Rasool, along with 13 gang members had “surrendered unconditionally to the army”. The 24 policemen taken hostage by the Chotu gang were also rescued during the operation.

Meanwhile, sources said that on the indication of Chotu gang, security forces recovered Russian weapons that were dumped in various areas of Katcha. Sources said that the security forces also had an exchange of fire with terrorists during that operation.

On the other hand, security forces disclosed to Daily Times that combing operations were also underway in other parts of Punjab, especially in Faisalabad. They said that during the last two days, a number of suspected terrorists had been arrested and weapons recovered from different areas of the city.

Sources were of the view that some suspected terrorists arrested from Lahore had links with banned organisations. They said that the suspects, during interrogation, disclosed that they had planned to target important places and personalities during Eid holidays. It may be mentioned here that intelligence agencies had already informed the federal and provincial governments that terrorists might target important places during Eid, after which search operations were conducted in Islamabad and Rawalpindi. These search operations also led to some arrests and recovery of weapons.

The army launched an operation in June 2014 in a bid to wipe out militant bases in the northwestern tribal areas and bring an end to the bloody insurgency that has cost thousands of civilian lives since 2004.

Security in the country has since improved. Scattered attacks still take place, but they are fewer and of a lesser intensity than in previous years.