Police, security forces hunt fleeing suspects; workers abducted in South Waziristan
Police and security forces conduct a joint operation in Dera Ismail Khan PHOTO: EXPRESS
DERA ISMAIL KHAN:
Three militants were killed and several others wounded on Thursday in a joint operation by police and security forces in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s Dera Ismail Khan district, officials said.
Bannu Deputy Inspector General Sajjad Khan said operations were conducted in Akbar Ali Khan Village, Asparka and Domel. He said the operation was being monitored on the ground by senior officers including DIG Khan, Bannu District Police Officer Yasir Afridi and Brigadier General Umair Niazi of 116 Brigade.
Domel is located along the North Waziristan Road, while the other areas are located across the Kohat and Bannu borders. All sites are mountainous, officials said.
Police and security forces conduct a joint operation in Dera Ismail Khan PHOTO: EXPRESS
A search operation is on to arrest militants who fled the area. “The terrorists will be brought to justice and law and order will be maintained at all costs,” DIG Sajjad Khan said.
Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi praised police and security forces for what he described as a successful operation against militants belonging to “Fitna al-Khawarij” in the Bannu region. “I salute the police and security forces for sending three terrorists to hell,” Naqvi said in a statement.
He said the police and security forces had foiled the “malicious designs” of the militants through a timely and coordinated operation and praised their professional skills. “Joint actions by the police and security forces to bring peace in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa are commendable,” he said.
Read: 5 killed, 20 injured in suicide blast at aman committee member’s house in DI Khan: Rescue 1122
Naqvi added that with the support of the nation, militants associated with Fitna al-Khawarij – a term Pakistani authorities use for Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants – were being eliminated. “The terrorists will not be allowed to hide anywhere,” he said.
In a separate incident on Thursday, workers from Dera Ismail Khan were abducted in the Makki area of South Waziristan after unknown gunmen attacked a government checkpoint under construction near the local market.
Police sources said two workers were injured in the attack while four others were abducted. The injured were shifted to a nearby medical center and police have launched investigations to recover the abducted workers.
Security was tightened in and around Makki Market following the incident, triggering fear and panic among residents. Police said the abducted workers were allegedly from Dera Ismail Khan.
The region has seen a number of violent incidents in recent months. On December 24, five people were killed and 10 injured in a suicide blast at the residence of Noor Alam Mehsud, head of a local aman committee, during a wedding ceremony near Qureshi Mor in Dera Ismail Khan.
Read more: DI Khan records 111 terrorist attacks in five years, 71 police officers were martyred
Last month, three police officers were killed in a bomb attack targeting a police vehicle in the district. Last November, six policemen, including trainees, were martyred and 12 other policemen and a civilian were injured in a militant attack on the Police Academy, one of the deadliest incidents in recent years.
Dera Ismail Khan, located at the crossroads of Balochistan, Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, has long been a focal point of militant violence. Since 2020, the district has recorded 111 attacks, resulting in the death of 71 police officers and injuries to 100 others.
Across Pakistan, overall violence rose by more than 25% last year, with at least 3,187 killed and 1,981 injured among civilians, security personnel and criminals, according to the Center for Research and Security Studies.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa was the worst affected province, accounting for nearly 68% of violence-related deaths and more than 62% of all incidents. In the province, the number of deaths during security operations stood at 1,370, outstripping the deaths from militant attacks, which totaled 795, underscoring the scale of ongoing anti-terror operations.
