PESHAWAR: Security forces killed three militants who had reportedly escaped from a detention cell in the Peshawar Cantonment after killing two soldiers in a three-hour midnight action on Tuesday, official sources said.
A major part of the Peshawar Cantonment, including a portion of the busy Saddar Bazaar, remained sealed after the troops took positions to capture the militants. Thousands of people remained stranded due to the blockade of the road that connects Peshawar city with the University Road via Saddar.
Heavy contingents of police took positions in the outer cordon to control the situation. The cops, however, did not participate in the search operation. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) officials in Peshawar did not speak about the incident. “Contact the ISPR in Islamabad for any comments,” an official of the ISPR in Peshawar told The News.
Sources said three militants — Wali, Haroon Khaliq and Abdul Samad — who were in the custody of a key intelligence agency, killed two soldiers and injured another before escaping. Some reports said the militants managed to snatch a rifle from one of the two soldiers before shooting the two dead and injuring the third one.
A search operation was launched to arrest the escaped militants. The area between the State Life Building and Lal Kurti Bazaar near the Officers Mess of the Pakistan Air Force on The Mall remained sealed during the operation. People were not allowed to enter the area while those living there were directed to remain indoors.
The locals said they were hearing gunshots from the sealed area from 11pm till midnight. The area was cleared at around 2am. The parts of Peshawar Cantonment where the search operation was conducted is not far from the Bacha Khan International Airport, facilities of the Pakistan Air Force base and several other defence installations. Traffic remained suspended in the area and people had to take alternative routes to Hayatabad, University Road and other areas.