Pakistan’s counterterrorism police on Tuesday said five suspected militants were killed in an intelligence-based operation in the country’s Punjab province.
The operation comes amid a rise in militant violence in Pakistan, particularly in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and southwestern Balochistan provinces bordering Afghanistan. The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of the police said it carried out the operation in Attock district, which borders Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, to arrest suspected militants who were planning attacks in various parts of Punjab.
“In the ensuing exchange of fire, five terrorists belonging to Fitna Al-Khawarij were killed,” a CTD spokesperson said in a statement. “The terrorists had completed planning attacks in various areas of Punjab.”
The CTD said a suicide jacket, two hand grenades, a submachine gun, ammunition and explosive materials were recovered from the militants.
A search operation was continuing in the Attock border area, while efforts to identify the slain militants were also underway, the department said.
Separately, the bodies of three members of a militant group were found in Domel area of Bannu district, local police informed on Tuesday. According to police and local sources, the bodies were identified as a key commander of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Muhammad Fatah alias “Kaka Wazir,” his sons and nephew.
Locals said, the peace committee had issued a three-day ultimatum to Kaka Wazir, demanding that he leave Mir Ali. However, he reportedly rejected the warning.
After the deadline expired, the militant commander allegedly attempted to attack a police station. Security personnel and members of the local peace committee responded effectively leading to a fierce gun battle.
The clash led to the killing of Kaka Wazir, his son and his nephew, while the area was secured by law enforcement authorities. Further details regarding the operation have not yet been officially released.