PESHAWAR: Five security personnel and three civilians, including a two-year-old child, embraced martyrdom while several policemen sustained injuries as clashes between security forces and militants continued over the weekend and on Monday in various parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. At least seven terrorists were also killed, officials and sources said.
In Upper Dir and Lower Dir districts, officials and sources said five suspected militants were killed and seven policemen injured late on Sunday night during fierce clashes between the security forces and the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). They said the exchange of fire in the Dobando area of Upper Dir continued for several hours. Two civilians from Hatnar Dara, caught in the crossfire, lost their lives.
A senior official of the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) of police told Dawn that the bodies of all five terrorists were in police custody. They might have links across the border in Afghanistan, he said.
In Lower Dir’s Lajbook Dara area, heavy firing broke out between police and militants. Though no casualties were reported from this clash, tension gripped the area as the attackers torched police vehicles including two pick-up trucks and a car, locals said. Sharing the footage on social media, the outlawed TTP claimed they had “seized the vehicles and destroyed them”.
Police officials, however, claimed the situation was under control. “We will never bow down to the mischief of the Kharijites (militants),” a police officer said.
Three civilians among the slain; seven
terrorists killed in Upper Dir, Hangu
engagements
Cop martyred in Bajaur
In Bajaur district, a policeman from Lower Dir was martyred in militant firing. Head Constable Shah Wazir Khan was laid to rest in his ancestral village Chansaruno Talash with official honours. Besides Lower Dir District Police Officer Abdul Salam Khalid, SP Elite Force Fahd Khan, Col Abrar of 184 Wing Dir Scouts, other security officials and local elders, a large number of area people attended the funeral.
Speaking on the occasion, DPO Khalid said the sacrifice of the fallen policeman would never be forgotten. He assured that the police would continue to stand by the families of martyrs in all circumstances.
Hangu, Khyber attacks
In Hangu district, militants mounted a late-night attack on the Tora Warai FC fort. As a result, two personnel of Hangu scouts were martyred, while several others were injured. In the ensuing gun battle, two militants were also killed.
In Tirah valley of Khyber district, two soldiers were martyred in a terrorist attack on a security post.
Sources said that an unspecified number of armed militants attacked the post of an army unit, resulting in the martyrdom of Lance Naik Ali Hasan Jan and Sepoy Nabi Jan. The attackers, however, fled when the security forces retaliated. Later, a search operation was conducted in the region as residents were asked to stay indoors.
Later, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi along with KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, KP police chief Zulfiqar Hameed, FC Commandant Riaz Nazir Gara and other officials attended the funeral of the personnel who embraced martyrdom in Hangu. The interior minister said the sacrifices of the martyrs would not go in vain as he met families of the martyrs.
Mr Naqvi also visited the FC Hospital to inquire about the health of Naib Subedar Kashif who sustained injuries. “You have set an unforgettable example of bravery and repelled the enemy’s attack. The way you fought against Indian-sponsored terrorists is highly commendable. We all stand with you and will always remain by your side,” he said.
Cop targeted in Jamrud
In Jamrud, a policeman was martyred in a firing incident, police said.
Officials said that armed men targeted Khurshid Khan in Ghundi area of Jamrud and fled. While police were ascertaining the motive for the shooting, they have not ruled out the possibility of a family feud.
Quadcopter strike in N. Waziristan
In North Waziristan’s Mir Ali area, a two-year-old boy was martyred and his grandmother injured in a quadcopter strike on a house on Monday.
According to sources, the quadcopter targeted a house in the Barokhel village of Mir Ali. As a result, a minor child, Sahir Tufail, son of Kashif Jan, was martyred and his grandmother was injured. The injured woman was shifted to Mir Ali hospital.
