Daily Times

The Security Forces on Tuesday killed the two most wanted terrorists of the proscribed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in an intense fire exchange occurred in Boya area of North Waziristan district of Khyber Paktunkhwa.

The Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) in a media release confirmed that the two most wanted TTP terrorists were killed by the security forces in general area of Boya on the night between May 16 and 17, during the heavy fire exchange between security forces and the terrorists.

The killed terrorists were identified as terrorist commander Rasheed alias Jabir and terrorist Abdul Salam alias Chamtoo.

During the operation, weapon and ammunition was also recovered from the killed terrorists.

The killed terrorists remained actively involved in terrorist activities in the area, the ISPR press release said.

TTP attacks on Pakistan soil have of late seen an uptick. The previous PTI government and the TTP had agreed to a month-long ceasefire to hold talks last year. However, the militant group had declined to extend the ceasefire after the one-month period ended, accusing the government of failing to honour the decisions reached earlier.

On March 30, the TTP announced the launch of Operation Al-Badar against law-enforcement agencies, which led to a surge in its attacks in tribal districts, southern region and other parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Last month, two TTP militants were killed in a raid in Dera Ismail Khan. They were identified as Khalil and Ehsan.

The police had said the slain terrorists were involved in attacks on security forces and several other sabotage activities, including an attack on a police mobile van, in which five policemen were martyred and seven others were injured.

Meanwhile, two TTP sources told AFP last week that the group had extended a ceasefire with the government, agreed for the Eid period, till May 16 to hold peace talks. A TTP letter outlining the truce told fighters “not to violate the decision taken by the central command”.

Both sources said a team of Pakistani mediators has travelled to Afghanistan to meet the TTP leadership for talks facilitated by the Afghan Taliban. However, Islamabad has not yet commented on the matter.