The wrecked car of Miranshah Assistant Commissioner Noor Wali Khan is seen in Bannu. Security officials carry the coffin of the martyred AC. Photos: Express
MIRANSHAH:
Noor Wali Khan, assistant commissioner of North Waziristan’s Miranshah tehsil, and three others, including two policemen, were killed in a brazen attack in Bannu district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) on Tuesday
According to officials, Noor Wali Khan traveled with his security group from Miranshah to the Peshawar High Court Bannu Bench.
When his convoy reached Mamash Khel village in Bannu around 10 am, terrorists lying in ambush opened heavy fire on their vehicle.
As a result of the attack, Shah Wali Khan, Constable Syed Rehman, Constable Khairur Rehman and a passerby were martyred while two other constables sustained injuries.
The terrorists set fire to the vehicle before fleeing the scene.
Soon after the incident, a heavy contingent of police and security forces cordoned off the area and shifted the dead and the injured to a nearby hospital.
Bannu Deputy Inspector General Sajjad Khan later confirmed that Shah Wali Khan and three others were martyred during the assault. “A joint police and security force operation is underway and investigations are being carried out from all angles,” he said.
Later, the funeral prayers of the martyrs were offered with full state honors in Bannu Cantt.
Among the participants were KP Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Zulfiqar Hameed, Regional Police Officer (RPO) Sajjad Khan, Bannu Commissioner Khalid Mahmood, GOC 7 Division Major General Adil Iftikhar and Brigadier General Umair Khan Niazi.
DPO Bannu Yasir Afridi, DPO North Waziristan Sajjad Hussain, Bannu Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Faheem Khan, Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) SP Fazal Wahid and other civil and military officials also attended the ceremony.
The coffins of the martyrs were saluted and wreaths were laid.
The Chief Secretary and IGP paid tribute to the martyrs, saying they sacrificed their lives for the nation while performing their official duty. They said that the cowardly attack of the terrorists cannot weaken the morale and the sacrifices of the martyrs will never be forgotten.
Later, President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif issued separate statements expressing deep sorrow and grief over the martyrdom of four people in Bannu.
The President strongly condemned the terrorist attack and said the complete elimination of terrorists “operating in our beloved homeland with external support” could be achieved through national consensus.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif remarked that the government will thwart the dastardly intentions of the terrorists. “The government is determined to completely eradicate terrorism from the country,” he added.
Shah Wali Khan belonged to the Gwah Khwa area of South Waziristan (Lower). According to local sources, Shah, who hailed from the Tojay Khel and Zarmal Khel branches of the Wazir tribe, was known in his area as a highly polite and respectable person.
Tribal elders from South Waziristan (Lower) said with Shah’s martyrdom, the region has been forever bereft of a noble son. Tribal elders added that the entire nation shares the grief of the bereaved family in this tragedy.
Seven terrorists killed
Meanwhile, security forces on Monday killed seven terrorists belonging to outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in two separate engagements in North Waziristan District.
According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), forces conducted an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Mir Ali.
“During the conduct of the operation, own troops effectively engaged the khawarij [TTP] place and after an intense exchange of fire, six khawarij were sent to hell,” it said.
Another intelligence-based operation was conducted in Spinwam. In the ensuing exchange of fire, another kharji was effectively neutralized by the security forces.
Arms and ammunition were also recovered from the terrorists, who remained actively involved in several terrorist activities against security forces and law enforcement agencies. They were also involved in the targeted killing of innocent civilians.
“Sanitization operations are being carried out to eliminate any other Indian sponsored kharji found in the area as a relentless campaign against terrorism under the vision of “Azm-e-Istehkam” – as endorsed by the Federal Apex Committee of the National Action Plan.
“Pakistan will continue at full speed to eradicate the menace of foreign sponsored and supported terrorism from the country,” ISPR added.
