Cop, militant killed in Swabi encounter

SWABI: A policeman and militant were killed while two cops, including a sub-inspector, sustained injuries in an encounter in Utla area here on Tuesday, a police official said.

The encounter took place near the boundary with Buner district where Pakistan Army conducted the operation in 2009. District Police Officer (DPO) Javed Iqbal told reporters that the police were conducting a search operation in Dadoo village in the jurisdiction of Utla Police Station when a militant opened fire on them.

“The militant, Anwar Saeed, reportedly opened fire as soon as the police party raided the area,” he said.The DPO said the police returned the fire, killing Anwar Saeed. His two brothers surrendered soon after his killing, he added.

He added the policeman, Javed Khan, was also killed in the clash. “We have arrested Malik Hussain, and Inayat Hussain - two brothers of the killed terrorist- and shifted them to an unknown location for interrogation,” he added.

He maintained that a first information report (FIR) had also been registered in Utla Police Station.The injured sub-inspector is identified as Tariq Khan and constable Sajjad Khan. Both the injured were taken to Bacha Khan Medical Complex, Shahmansoor.  The police also recovered one Kalashnikov and a hand-grenade and three pistols from the militant. Meanwhile, the slain cop, Javed Khan, was laid to rest in his ancestral graveyard in Sheikh Jana village.